Form I-485

Entry into the U.S. using the Advance Parole after green card approval during a trip abroad

Question details

Background: Applied I-485 application under EB3 after downgrade from EB2 in 2020. Refiled another I- 485 application under EB2 in 2021. Received EAD/ AP combo card from EB3 application in Jan 2022. Used it to travel out of country in July 2022. Green card approved in EB2 category while out of country. Entered USA using the Advance Parole from EB3 in August 2022 as the green card was in mailbox in USA. At Port of Entry, I informed them about the approval of I-485. However, they paroled me in for 1 year until August 2023 and stamped Advance pare in my passport. I collected my physical card from the mailbox after reaching my home.

Question

What is my status now- Green card or Advance parole?  Any impact on my green card status with that AP stamp as I used AP from EB3 after approval of green card from EB2?  I did not receive any notice form USCIS about withdrawing EB3 application after they granted green card under EB2. Should I ask USCIS to cancel the EB3 application or assume that it is automatically canceled by USCIS?

 

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FAQ Transcript

You can contact the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and go to one of their offices which is usually at the airport. They are called Deferred Inspection. As a green card holder, they might be able to change your I-94 or your admission to a green card holder. I would also like you to double check first with the CBP and then with the congressman.
 

Was the Green Card approved in error? Time taken by the USCIS to respond to an E request for correction, travel?

Question details

Background:

1) PD - Initial Filing - EB2 MAR 2014 (Two Different EB2 filings with two different employers A and B)
3) Downgraded to EB3 with Employer B (New Petition but using the same EB2 PERM with Employer B) In Nov 2020, Filed I-485 Concurrently
3) Change to a different Full-Time AC21 - Same or Similar Role (Employer C) - Using AOS EAD
4) I-485 Got Approved in E26 Category (EB-2) before any I-485J submission whatsoever.
4) Initiated an inquiry with the Congressman to confirm this card is legitimate for usage and no errors / issues; still waiting on USCIS Response.
5) Spouse's I-485 also Got Approved about 2 weeks AFTER this inquiry was already sent over to USCIS (E27 Category).

Questions:

1) Suppose that a congressman's written response from USCIS comes back affirmative for legitimacy of the approvals quoting USCIS discretionary authority. There is also a recent trend of many such approved cases where the applicant had at least one prior approved EB-2 petition with PD current - so this situation does not seem to be unique any more.
Should we still then pursue USCIS E-Request / I-90 submission avenues from our side - would it really be worth to continue stretching this any further at that point ?

2) You had indicated that until notified otherwise, this LPR card can be used for Travel Purposes. Can it also be used to say take up a second week-end / part time job, renewal of driver's licenses etc. ?

3) If you use this card for any of the above purposes, and unfortunately USCIS response were to be negative, do you lose your status - have to do any reinstatement etc. particularly in the travel situation usage of LPR Card ?

4) Can you continue using your AOS EAD / AP instead during this seemingly weird time window, since that also is a USCIS-issued valid non-expired travel and work authorization ? In general, can you continue its usage until the expiry date, regardless of your I-485 status ?
 

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FAQ Transcript

1. I would suggest that you submit the E-request with an I-90 saying this green card appears to have been approved with an error.

2. My advice would be to avoid it if you can. But if you have to I think you can argue quite successfully that  travel was valid and it does not affect your pending green card.

3. I do not think so because you have an EAD/Advance Parole. 

4. I think you have  a pretty strong argument. You can definitely continue using your EAD, but do not use your Advance Parole if you can.

 

I-140 was approved and then revoked in 2011. Can I keep my priority date and also apply for I-485? What is the deadline for filing I-485?

Question details

I-140 was approved and then revoked in 2011. Can I keep my priority date and also apply for I-485? What is the deadline for filing I-485?
 

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FAQ Transcript

It depends on a couple of things. First of all the regulations changed in your favor on January 17, 2017. Therefore, if the revocation occurred before January 17, 2017 chances are you might have lost even your priority date. On January 17, 2017 the laws changed and now the rule is if the moment your I-140 is approved the priority date is yours to keep. The second rule is if the I-140 stays approved for 180 days you also have the right to extend your H-1B and your spouse their H-4. There are two different rights  - right to keep your priority date the moment I-140 is approved and  the right to extend H-1B if the I-140 stays approved for 180 days. Hence this is a protection even if the employer revokes your H-1B.
For more discussion on this matter you can have a look at my older blog entries.
https://www.immigration.com/blogs/

 

 

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Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments, blog and community calls on immigration.com. Where transcribed from audio/video, a verbatim transcript is provided. Therefore, it may not conform to the written grammatical or syntactical form.

Recording of Sept 15, 2022, Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)

Immigration.com

Citizenship and Naturalization

Discussion Topics:

FAQ: Was Green Card approved in error? Time taken by the USCIS to respond to an E request for correction, travel?|| Entry into the U.S. using the Advance Parole after green card approval during a trip abroad ||

Recording of September 01, 2022 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna

Discussion Topics:

FAQ: What is the meaning of a US “visa canceled without prejudice”? || I have an Approved I-140 from a previous job. My new employer has initiated the PERM. How can I make sure that the attorneys use the priority date from my old I-140? || What are the chances of an H-1B visa (STEM OPT) after completing Masters in the U.S? || H-1B visa holder travels abroad (Canada) for work sometimes; is an H-1B amendment required for change of address or location abroad?

Recording of August 18, 2022 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna

Immigration.com

Agency

Discussion Topics, Aug 18, 2022

FAQs: Change of employers after H-1B is approved and before October 1; the number of pay stubs required; revocation of H-1B before October 1 || I-140 was approved and then revoked in 2011. Can I keep my priority date and also apply for I-485? What is the deadline for filing I-485? || Impact of alternate wage survey for H-1B LCA; the success rates of H-1B extensions; AC21 rule when the company is bought by a successor-in-interest

Divorce while I-485 is pending: cross chargeability loss, section 498A criminal complaint

Question details

I work on H1B. My I 485 and wife's I-485 was filed in April 2022;
My priority date is Apr 2014; Have lived and worked in USA since 2004=Student visa and H-1Bvisa;
Wife was born in Nepal. She has the receipt number of my I-485 and her I-485;
I believe due to India Priority date current, I am eligible for filing and getting my GC without using cross-chargeability. Is there any implication that I should be aware of?
We are divorcing due to a mismatch in expectations. Got married in 2018; She came to the USA in early 2022 – after 4 years of disagreements and delays to live in the marriage with me.
She may file cases against me in India – such as 498A and claim that I used her Nepal birth for my GC. This was a genuine arranged marriage that was started through communication between our families.
Can she harm my I-485 case by directly communicating to USCIS about her claims. What possible risks I should plan for.
 

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FAQ Transcript

The way USCIS interprets legal separation or divorce as being the same status conceptually. While there is no direct law on your situation, since you do not need cross-chargeability, you should not have a problem. Regarding dowry complaints and charges like 498A, we have prevailed in several cases in both green card processes and naturalizations. As long as you can show that the charges are more likely than not untrue, you may be able to overcome the problem of criminal proceedings pending in India.

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Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments, blog and community calls on immigration.com. Where transcribed from audio/video, a verbatim transcript is provided. Therefore, it may not conform to the written grammatical or syntactical form.

Naturalization issues when one continues to work with the new employer on GC instead of joining back the old employer

Question details

1. My previous employer applied for my GC and it just got approved on 07/15/2022.
(a): I have EB3 and EB2 I-140 approved from the same employer.
(b): Filed 485 based on EB3 priority date and received EAD and AP.
(c): No interfiling done to move from EB3 to EB2 and GC got approved.

2. I joined a new employer 5 months ago using H1B with mutual understanding with my previous employer. In case needed, I would join them back. No I-485J transfer has been done so far.

Q: Can I continue to work with my new employer using my GC instead of H-1B?
 

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FAQ Transcript

You can, but you should join the sponsoring employer within a commercially reasonable time.

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Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments, blog and community calls on immigration.com. Where transcribed from audio/video, a verbatim transcript is provided. Therefore, it may not conform to the written grammatical or syntactical form.