Do you always bring your Green Card with you?

[scotinmass 588]

Your employer shouldn't have asked you for any specific documents.

But - asking for a driver's license and SS card from EVERYONE is better than asking "suspected aliens" for "special papers".

I have a tendency to get up on my soap box about this. I don't ever mean for it to sound like I am putting readers down. I get snarky because it makes me mad.

My husband and I paid good money to get him here legally. We followed all the rules of the US government. I get PI$$ED when "lower mortals" (that means any entity of lower rank than the government) questions my husband's status. First of all, why are they questioning it? Just so you know, he's as white as a bag of flour. Oh now I get it. He just opened his mouth and that lyrical sound came out. So now..........where did he come from? And how did he get here?

NO ONE has any RIGHT - at all - to question my husband just because he sounds different. Or question any person just because they are brown, or any other lovely shade. Or because they sound a bit different. Or because their English is broken. That kind of nonsense went out with President Johnson.

I want readers here to claim their rights. You have bought and paid for them.

An employer has to fill out an I-9 form for all it's employees. The employee has to provide evidence they are authorized to work. The only evidence most of us have is the green card. They have to send the form away to have it checked by the USCIS to make sure there is no fraud involved so they have to fill in the number of the document provided which would be the A#.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=30341921c6898210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=30341921c6898210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

An employer has to fill out an I-9 form for all it's employees. The employee has to provide evidence they are authorized to work. The only evidence most of us have is the green card. They have to send the form away to have it checked by the USCIS to make sure there is no fraud involved so they have to fill in the number of the document provided which would be the A#.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=30341921c6898210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=30341921c6898210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

Employers don't fill out I9's. Employers ask their employees to fill out I9's. The Employee can choose which documents they wish to produce.

The link you gave is for List A documents. If a person wishes to give a List A document, that is fine. Then they don't have to provide any other documentation.

Or a person can provide one document from List B and one doucment from List C.

Look at the I9 form itself. It's helpful to the learning curve.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

But isn't that the purpose of the Green Card? To prove once and for all that you are a legal permanent resident of the USA?

Yeah, its degrading when people assume you're an illegal alien but it's more gratifying to prove them wrong.

The purpose of the card is to prove to authorities (law enforcement) that you are legally present.

Once you have the card, you can get other documents. Documents that put you on the same "playing field" as a natural born citizen.

FWIW - I don't know how my husband feels if someone "presumes" he is illegal. I know how he felt when my BIL recently said he initially thought my husband only wanted to move to the US for a green card. My husband was outraged - not degraded.

[apple21 953]

The purpose of the card is to prove to authorities (law enforcement) that you are legally present.

Once you have the card, you can get other documents. Documents that put you on the same "playing field" as a natural born citizen.

FWIW - I don't know how my husband feels if someone "presumes" he is illegal. I know how he felt when my BIL recently said he initially thought my husband only wanted to move to the US for a green card. My husband was outraged - not degraded.

Yeah, that's a different issue when other people think your marriage is a sham. The alien spouse only married the USC/LPR to have a GC.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Yeah, that's a different issue when other people think your marriage is a sham. The alien spouse only married the USC/LPR to have a GC.

I guess you would have needed to be there. My husband's mind never goes to being upset about accusations of using a woman for a green card.

At least not at this point in his time in the US. He's tired of hearing how great the US is; how his socialist country is; and how people only want to come here because it's the greatest nation on earth.

[Caryh 5,206]

OO RAAAA My wife has her similar opinion about her own third world country. Weather is nicer and you don't need to work so hard there. Although she does enjoy the higher lifestyle here, she'd ecstatically give it up if I said lets go live in the Philippines. She's currently jealous because one of her friend's husbands made the decision to return there. They had moved here, but then decided his retirement income went so much farther there, so they're returning soon.

At least not at this point in his time in the US. He's tired of hearing how great the US is; how ###### his socialist country is; and how people only want to come here because it's the greatest nation on earth.

[Mariana2012 89]

I always think it is unusual how people do what they shouldn't with their green cards.

Most people don't carry them, even though they should. They feel the way you do. They don't carry the card because it is expensive to replace. Or that they don't need it as a form of ID because they have a driver's license.

But then, when an employer asks to see the card, people willingly go home and get it.

So if you feel that a driver's license is "good enough" ID, why isn't it good enough for these employers?

Everybody is either ignorant of the law, or ignores it.

You are confusing what DL and greencard are " good enough " for. Employer wants the greencard to check the right to work and he can't verify that from your DL since you can have a driver license but not be allowed to work. ( with visas like H4 for instance.) When you are walking on the street you need your DL as proof of identity but you don't need to prove the right to work so theoreticaly, no need fo greencard. However all of us are taking a chance by not carrying it because " it is the law" to have it with you at all times.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

You are confusing what DL and greencard are " good enough " for. Employer wants the greencard to check the right to work and he can't verify that from your DL since you can have a driver license but not be allowed to work. ( with visas like H4 for instance.) When you are walking on the street you need your DL as proof of identity but you don't need to prove the right to work so theoreticaly, no need fo greencard. However all of us are taking a chance by not carrying it because " it is the law" to have it with you at all times.

I'm not confusing anything. In the posts above the one of mine that you quoted, people were talking about not needing to carry a green card because they have another form of ID - usually a license.

Employers DO NOT NEED TO SEE A GREENCARD. It doesn't matter if they WANT it. It is AGAINST THE LAW for them to demand to see your greencard. YOU, the alien, get to chose what documents you show to an employer to prove you are work authorized. If you WANT to show them your green card, you can. But it is ILLEGAL for an employer to DEMAND a green card.

I'm really not confused. The law is really really really clear on this point. I've point up the relevant links already in this thread.

[Hypnos 6,576]

Employers cannot ask to see your green card specifically, you can choose any of the documents that satisfy the requirements on the I-9.

An immigration officer can ask to see your green card though (and some other state or federal agencies may need to see it). It is federal law for an alien over the age of 18 who has a green card to carry that green card on their person at all times. It's a fairly simple question of, "Do you want to follow the law?" You are, of course, free not to carry your green card, but you are committing a federal crime (which carries a punishment of a $100 fine and / or 30 days in jail) when you do this.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Hypnos

[apple21 953]

Employers cannot ask to see your green card specifically, you can choose any of the documents that satisfy the requirements on the I-9.

An immigration officer can ask to see your green card though (and some other state or federal agencies may need to see it). It is federal law for an alien over the age of 18 who has a green card to carry that green card on their person at all times. It's a fairly simple question of, "Do you want to follow the law?" You are, of course, free not to carry your green card, but you are committing a federal crime (which carries a punishment of a $100 fine and / or 30 days in jail) when you do this.

[TBoneTX 43,422]

When you are walking on the street you need your DL as proof of identity

Not necessarily... in some states, you don't need to produce a DL if you're not driving a car. However, check your state's "failure to identify" laws, most of which are probably an outgrowth of the supremely awful "Hiibel" Supreme Court case. [Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer.]

[...] greencard. However all of us are taking a chance by not carrying it because "it is the law" to have it with you at all times.

This is dead-nuts accurate.

Edited May 5, 2013 by TBoneTX

[CaroSL 68]

I drive a big truck for a living and my future wife will be traveling with me. When in the southwestern states near the Mexican border you have to stop and go thru a border patrol checkpoint. These are border patrol officers and I assume they can ask you your immigration status. They always ask if you ar a USC. I am thinking that she will meed tobhave her GC on her at all tomes since we will be traveling the country, not have it locked in a safety deposit box. Anyone else have experiences with botder patrol officers and checkpoints?

I did, on my way from california to arizona. I had my passport on me with my valid visa in it. Np at all.

I don't have a green card yet, I have a valid driving licence and I let my passport at home as long as I am close to home. If needed my husband or my in-laws can pick it up for me.

I don't want to risk to lose it... I don't even want to imagine the nightmare if I loose my passport.

[Holly2234 66]

I used to carry mine in the first few weeks after i got it but i no longer do that. I have only ever needed it when i got jobs so it hasnt been an issue and im not risking losing it. Im not the kind of woman who has purses either so its just difficult to carry!