K-1 Visa/Wife Travel Cruise

[Scott1717 8]

First off, this site is amazing! This site guided me and my fiance through the K-1 process..She is here in the States now and we have been married since March 13, 2019! 

  

   My question is I have a company cruise coming up in October leaving from New Orleans and will go to Mexico..it's only going to be there for the day, but if we do not leave the ship do we need a Travel Document for this? We are also waiting on her Green Card to process, so she doesnt have that yet. My gut is telling me she needs to stay with friends and not chance it but you dont know until you ask!  The trip will only last about 4 days so spending the money for the Travel document fee isnt worth it, especially if she can stay with friends if she cant go.

 

  Any help is much appreciated!

[Falcon Cara 378]

5 minutes ago, Scott1717 said:

First off, this site is amazing! This site guided me and my fiance through the K-1 process..She is here in the States now and we have been married since March 13, 2019! 

  

   My question is I have a company cruise coming up in October leaving from New Orleans and will go to Mexico..it's only going to be there for the day, but if we do not leave the ship do we need a Travel Document for this? We are also waiting on her Green Card to process, so she doesnt have that yet. My gut is telling me she needs to stay with friends and not chance it but you dont know until you ask!  The trip will only last about 4 days so spending the money for the Travel document fee isnt worth it, especially if she can stay with friends if she cant go.

 

  Any help is much appreciated!

No passort needed and no greencard or AP for a cruise.  She can get off the ship as she pleases.

 

The cruise you are on is considered a closed loop cruise.  If she has Alabama Driver Licenses or Alabama  ID she can use that.

[Georgia16 2,858]

There is no way you guys should take that chance if she does not have the AP or Green card at that time. 

 

Also there is no fee for the AP (and EAD) when filed with the AOS the fee is waived. You can still file it and get the fee waived with a copy of your NOA1 from I-485 but it will not arrive for October. 

Edited July 18, 2019 by Georgia16

[Randyandyuni 2,682]

Just now, Georgia16 said:

There is no way you guys should take that chance if she does not have the AP or Green card at that time. 

I've got to agree with this, we went through immigration when we returned from our cruise even though passport was not required 

[BingoH 32]

I would not try because if the ship gets into international waters she will already lose her status I think same for Mexico. When I went on a cruise I had to go trough customs very similar as the one from the airport again getting out of the ship.

[JeanneAdil 6,197]

as soon as a ship is 3 miles out  passports are needed

and when it returns to port ,  you sit in the lounge and wait to go thru customs and immigration

even a USC needs a passport to travel to Mexico and Canada now

any questions on this,  call the cruise line 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/cruise-ship-passengers.html

 

"closed loop do not need it"  but the cruise line stopping in Mexico changes things

 

also know that a medical emerency could take you to be treated off the ship / try to get back into the US then as your K1 visa is a one time entry 

Edited July 18, 2019 by JeanneAdil

[Pinkrlion 2,607]

29 minutes ago, Scott1717 said:

First off, this site is amazing! This site guided me and my fiance through the K-1 process..She is here in the States now and we have been married since March 13, 2019! 

  

   My question is I have a company cruise coming up in October leaving from New Orleans and will go to Mexico..it's only going to be there for the day, but if we do not leave the ship do we need a Travel Document for this? We are also waiting on her Green Card to process, so she doesnt have that yet. My gut is telling me she needs to stay with friends and not chance it but you dont know until you ask!  The trip will only last about 4 days so spending the money for the Travel document fee isnt worth it, especially if she can stay with friends if she cant go.

 

  Any help is much appreciated!

Anytime you leave the US, you need a re-entry permit such as AP or GC, regardless of transportation mode. 

[payxibka 10,044]

37 minutes ago, Scott1717 said:

First off, this site is amazing! This site guided me and my fiance through the K-1 process..She is here in the States now and we have been married since March 13, 2019! 

  

   My question is I have a company cruise coming up in October leaving from New Orleans and will go to Mexico..it's only going to be there for the day, but if we do not leave the ship do we need a Travel Document for this? We are also waiting on her Green Card to process, so she doesnt have that yet. My gut is telling me she needs to stay with friends and not chance it but you dont know until you ask!  The trip will only last about 4 days so spending the money for the Travel document fee isnt worth it, especially if she can stay with friends if she cant go.

 

  Any help is much appreciated!

Closed loop or open loop cruise,  answer will be different 

[Scott1717 8]

We just, yesterday,  went to her Biometrics appointment for her green card and employment authorization card so we are fairly early in the AOS process....was hoping she could at least go with me as long as she stayed on the ship. Thank you all for the responses!

[payxibka 10,044]

1 minute ago, Scott1717 said:

We just, yesterday,  went to her Biometrics appointment for her green card and employment authorization card so we are fairly early in the AOS process....was hoping she could at least go with me as long as she stayed on the ship. Thank you all for the responses!

Staying on the ship doesn't change things 

[Scott1717 8]

I believe it's a closed loop cruise

[Scott1717 8]

Ok, thanks!   On or off the ship, the main issue is Re-entry...got it!

[Loren Y 2,732]

39 minutes ago, Falcon Cara said:

No passort needed and no greencard or AP for a cruise.  She can get off the ship as she pleases.

 

The cruise you are on is considered a closed loop cruise.  If she has Alabama Driver Licenses or Alabama  ID she can use that.

Not true. As soon as you are 11 miles offshore, you have left the United States and are in international Waters. I have taken cruises out of every port in the US that carnival Cruise leaves out of. From Seattle to Miami and everything in between. On every Cruise whether you leave the ship or not you have to come thru customs on your way back into the US. So you will be inspected by CBP. There is a western hemisphere travel initiative ( I think is what you are thinking about) that allows US citizens the ability to travel from some of our southern Cruise ports without a passport, just a state issued ID. But this is only available to US citizens and maybe LPRs, but I haven't checked in a while. My next Cruise is in January out of Long Beach CA. But I've got a bunch of international travel before the end of the year scheduled, or I love cruises. This will be my new wife's first time, and I hope she likes it, or it's divorce time...  LOL, not really.

Edited July 18, 2019 by Loren Y

[payxibka 10,044]

12 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

Not true. As soon as you are 11 miles offshore, you have left the United States and are in international Waters. I have taken cruises out of every port in the US that carnival Cruise leaves out of. From Seattle to Miami and everything in between. On every Cruise whether you leave the ship or not you have to come thru customs on your way back into the US. So you will be inspected by CBP. There is a western hemisphere travel initiative ( I think is what you are thinking about) that allows US citizens the ability to travel from some of our southern Cruise ports without a passport, just a state issued ID. But this is only available to US citizens and maybe LPRs, but I haven't checked in a while.

Makes sense because Theoretically they could pick up passengers in the foreign ports of call

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

8 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Makes sense because Theoretically they could pick up passengers in the foreign ports of call

Or a stowaway. How do they know someone did not sneak on ship for a ride to the US?