Could endorsed immigrant visa be used for international travel

[FaithandPatience 1]

Hello members,

 

I need some help, my wife got her immigrant visa and we crossed the land border to US. At POE, cbp officers completed the paper work and put admission stamp on my wife's passport. They said we are good and we should receive the physical card in mail. Then I checked with the officer if my wife can travel back to Canada and return to US while waiting for her physical green card, the officer said no. We were really surprised and checked few times and one other officer said we could. I am really confused now, my wife is in US now but she was planning to go back to Canada in a week to wrap up her work and few other things. We are really not sure if we can do this or not now. My wife's visa had a line "upon endorsement serves as I-551 evidence for 1 year". so we assumed once CBP officer put admission stamp, it also could be used as travel document. Could some one please help clarify this for us. Has anyone been in this situation before? Could you please write your experience.

 

Thanks,

FaithandPatience

[nastra30 1,992]

12 minutes ago, FaithandPatience said:

Hello members,

 

I need some help, my wife got her immigrant visa and we crossed the land border to US. At POE, cbp officers completed the paper work and put admission stamp on my wife's passport. They said we are good and we should receive the physical card in mail. Then I checked with the officer if my wife can travel back to Canada and return to US while waiting for her physical green card, the officer said no. We were really surprised and checked few times and one other officer said we could. I am really confused now, my wife is in US now but she was planning to go back to Canada in a week to wrap up her work and few other things. We are really not sure if we can do this or not now. My wife's visa had a line "upon endorsement serves as I-551 evidence for 1 year". so we assumed once CBP officer put admission stamp, it also could be used as travel document. Could some one please help clarify this for us. Has anyone been in this situation before? Could you please write your experience.

 

Thanks,

FaithandPatience

Yes, she can travel. The endorsed passport serves as her green card for a year until she receives physical greencard. 

[nastra30 1,992]

Here are a couple of examples. However, that should be besides the fact. It's clearly stated on the visa just as you've quoted so you should have no issues.

 

 

 

[FaithandPatience 1]

Thank you so much but after reading Kitta&Owen's experience, I am little scared. We are anyway trying to enter Canada and US on land, so hopefully it should be easier. Thank you guys, this forum and its members has been so helpful to me. I really appreciate everyone's effort in answering my questions

[Crazy Cat 39,316]

1 hour ago, FaithandPatience said:

Then I checked with the officer if my wife can travel back to Canada and return to US while waiting for her physical green card, the officer said no.

The officer is wrong.

[Verrou 1,899]

she can come and go US as she please. stamp on the passport literally is a green card 

[FaithandPatience 1]

Thank you. Just to be 100% sure, I am attaching the image of the admission Visa stamp. This was stamped on the page adjacent to her Visa. This is the only stamp CBP officer put on her passport. Also for biometrics they only took her photo but I was expecting that they do finger prints too. I was too scared to ask them because I had already asked few questions and I was worried they may not like me asking more questions.

 

 

[Timona 3,947]

You've been told she's good. Don't worry. Stop stressing 

[cdndesro 44]

6 hours ago, FaithandPatience said:

Thank you. Just to be 100% sure, I am attaching the image of the admission Visa stamp. This was stamped on the page adjacent to her Visa. This is the only stamp CBP officer put on her passport. Also for biometrics they only took her photo but I was expecting that they do finger prints too. I was too scared to ask them because I had already asked few questions and I was worried they may not like me asking more questions.

 

 

I crossed back and forth 7 times on my stamped Visa before GC arrived.  No issues at all.

[Chancy 6,233]

12 hours ago, FaithandPatience said:

we assumed once CBP officer put admission stamp, it also could be used as travel document.

 

Yes.  Print page 32 of CBP's Carrier Information Guide and bring it when you travel, if you want extra assurance -- https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Mar/2019 Carrier Information Guide - ENGLISH.pdf

 

"Once an immigrant has been admitted to the United States the immigrant visa becomes a re-entry document, valid for one year from the endorsement date. The statement “UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR” will be printed in the body of the visa directly above the machine-readable zone. This documentation is acceptable for travel and employment and is intended to replace the ADIT stamp."

 

 

[JayTravel 0]

Hi FaithandPatience,

did your wife end up traveling with the visa and stamp and was everything ok? 
we have a similar situation. Trying to figure out what to do. 
thanks. 

[FaithandPatience 1]

Hi Jay,

 

No she didn't travel. She stayed back in USA until she received her GC and only then travelled back to Canada. We didn't want to take any risk at all. But I think she could have travelled based on my research.

 

Thanks,

Faith and Patience

[Lil bear 3,833]

On 8/2/2022 at 5:17 AM, FaithandPatience said:

Hello members,

 

I need some help, my wife got her immigrant visa and we crossed the land border to US. At POE, cbp officers completed the paper work and put admission stamp on my wife's passport. They said we are good and we should receive the physical card in mail. Then I checked with the officer if my wife can travel back to Canada and return to US while waiting for her physical green card, the officer said no. We were really surprised and checked few times and one other officer said we could. I am really confused now, my wife is in US now but she was planning to go back to Canada in a week to wrap up her work and few other things. We are really not sure if we can do this or not now. My wife's visa had a line "upon endorsement serves as I-551 evidence for 1 year". so we assumed once CBP officer put admission stamp, it also could be used as travel document. Could some one please help clarify this for us. Has anyone been in this situation before? Could you please write your experience.

 

Thanks,

FaithandPatience

Yes she can travel. That is one of the reasons  for stamping the visa. I used my stamped visa to reenter the US  prior to receiving my physical GC 

39 minutes ago, JayTravel said:

Hi FaithandPatience,

did your wife end up traveling with the visa and stamp and was everything ok? 
we have a similar situation. Trying to figure out what to do. 
thanks. 

It is to be used for this purpose prior to receiving the physical green card 

[Ontarkie 13,918]

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