Does anyone have experience with waiting for a travel authorization from the INS when applying for your green card??

My husband and I got married in January and have applied (we know everything is correct: he already had his fingerprints & the work authorization is on the way) but we are anxiously awaiting the travel authorization so we can book our honeymoon - hopefully to Europe. They told us 90 days which puts us to May 16. Problem: our "formal" wedding ceremony is May 27; honeymoon the following two weeks. We have not booked anything yet, pending this authorization since we want to leave the country. Question is, how does he know if he is authorized or not? INS cannot tell him anything when he calls - he has to wait for the mail. We are debating just to book a flight to Italy - and worst situation - we can use the flight at a later date. So, any advice?? It's hard b/c there is also no place we are really crazy about visitng in the US (been almost everywhere already). We have our hearts set on Italy. In hindsight we should've done all this earlier to allow enough time...

I assume what you meant by "travel authorization" is the Advance Parole.

There is no way your husband can find out if the Advance Parole is authorized or not until he receives the AP in his hand. Calling the USCIS will not get you anywhere.

Even though the USCIS office told you it'll take 90 days for them to process the Advance Parole, each field office differs a bit. You can check the status of your field office at this website:
https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/js...d=cLDJrWan_qn8

For example, if you filed your Advance Parole application in Dallas, Tx - currently the Dallas Office is processing AP applications filed on or before Jan 15, 2006.

You can always postpone your honeymoon trip, no? Planning a wedding ceremony is stressful enough on its own (I know, I did this last year), and I can't imagine the added stress of booking a honeymoon trip and then realize you can't go.

Good Luck.

Hi AS,

Have you considered postponing your honeymoon trip until after Labor Day.

Airfares will be lower than in June. Italy will be less crowded.
Porcini mushrooms will be in season.

>..there is also no place we are really crazy about visitng in the US (been almost everywhere already). <

You have covered almost 6,000,000 sq miles? My, my, my, you are intrepid travelers.

Ira, I'm laughing! As I'm sure you can assume, we want the honeymoon to be extra special (which also adds added of pressure of the big question - where to go??!!!) My husband's never been to Europe & really wants to go. As for postponing the trip, we *could* but probably only by a few weeks. I knwo the prices are high during that time, but it's the only time that works for us. I was also really looking forward to having the wedding & then elaving right after. (Very small wedding - no stress).

AngelaS,

You have asked about honeymoons all over the place----Hawaii, the Caribbean, South America. . . I know you want it to be special, but I think you need to take a deep breath and just wait it out. You don't want to jeopardize your husband's immigration status by leaving without authorization. And you can't rely on what some INS official says---you need that piece of paper in hand before you leave. YK gave you excellent advice.

Nora,

We're definitely not leaving the country without the travel documents. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with it & what the wait was. I have been posting on several boards here b/c we were throwing around a lot of different ideas on where to go. As of right now our time frame for vacation is not that flexible, so we may have to settle for a domestic trip.

Hi AS,

You have my sympathy, however, I do suggest that you plan for a delayed honeymoon.

You can always make that special trip on your first anniversary.

Best wishes.

Europe will always be there, whats the rush? ..postpone your trip ; spend few days in a romantic log cabin up in the mountains facing a clear lake..then when you receive the paperwork, take your DH to Europe and have a worry free honeymoon..

AngelaS-
As I said in my post earlier, every field office processes Advance Paroles at different speed.

I got mine in 2004 via the Philadelphia field office. It was about a 2 month wait. But if I had filed it in a different office, the wait could be as short as 2 weeks (such as Boston) or as long as 3-4 months. The link I gave you will give you an idea how long YOUR wait is at YOUR field office.

FYI, I bought a ticket to Munich the day after I got my AP.

I think that's best---plan something nice here in the US so you don't have to worry. There must be someplace here you would enjoy---do you like cities, countryside, lakes, mountains, beaches?

YK- thanks for the advice. I did check out the site & it states that they are currently processing the travel documents dated Feb. 1 (which his is). I know how the USCIS can be - short or long wait. we may make alternative plans (domestic) - have to talk to DH & see....

AngelaS-
If the office is processing his application date - he should be receiving a notice in the mail anytime now. I suppose you can wait for a week and see if anything comes in the mail?

I actually got my AP in 2003, not 2004 as I wrote in the post above.

I got married in October and had to go through the whole USCIS process of getting Advanced Parole, Employment Authorization and Green Card.

Exactly how quickly you get your Advanced Parole does depend on your office. I went through Detroit. We applied on October 10th and it took 10 weeks - until December 19th to get my AP.

The easiest way to find if he is authorized is through the USCIS website where you can set up an email alert to tell you when your case is approved. This is followed by an approval letter, and then eventually your AP. Do not travel until you have your AP in your hand, even if you already know you are approved - your airline in Europe will not allow your husband to board the flight home without it!

People on Parole are allowed out of the country? :-?

Yep - the USCIS like to make it as difficult as possible for us by not letting us work or travel for months, us aliens are allowed out, at least when we have the right paperwork.

However, it does take a couple of months to get your AP (and a nice $200 filing fee) before you can leave.

We had to stay in the US for our honeymoon, but managed to make it out to Hawaii

Phil thanks for the advice. We have decided to just wait a bit & see what pops in the mail. Hawaii was our second pick too.

No problem Angela - I know it is an uncertain time as you are really in the hands of the USCIS gods.

I don't know if you have come across it yet, but www.visajourney.com is a great site for helping you on your journey, and you can probably get more idea of exactly when to expect your AP there.

Good Luck!
Phil

Just an update - he got the authorization in the mail last week & we bought open-jaw tickets to Paris, flying out of Rome!! I guess a little patience was all that was needed! Thanks for the advice guys!

Congratulations! Have a great honeymoon trip!