Ok ! Thanks Swan, I was very worried because of thisYes . thats right. First time they stamp your passport or give i94 paper slip. from next time they will swipe it.
Ok ! Thanks Swan, I was very worried because of thisYes . thats right. First time they stamp your passport or give i94 paper slip. from next time they will swipe it.
Nope, your wife cannot use your H1b i797 to re-enter US. She has to have her valid i94/an approved H4. Rather check for a visa appointment slot in those dates prior so that it would be easier for you to get her H4 stamped while entering back.Need help with AVR while H4 in pending.
I have to apply for h1b visa renewal and h4 visa renewal. My express entry PR application is under process. There is a possibility that I will receive COPR while my h1 extension is pending. So there might be a situation where COPR is expiring but I might not be able to travel while extension is pending.
For h1b, I can do premium processing and gett i-797. That will also give me new i-94 and i can use that for AVR. HOWEVER, H4 visa will not go under premium processing. So extension might be pending. Can my wife use my h1b I 797 A and H4 expired stamp to reenter the US?
Hi Alex, did you find answers for your queries? Can you pls share your experience of soft landing and avr process utilization?Hi Everyone,
I was recently approved for Canadian PR and I am planning to do soft landing at the end of March or early April to activate my PR.
I currently live in US and I have a valid H1B i797. I entered US on B2 (Visit Visa) and changed my status from B2 to F1 and later to H1B but never exited from US. I am planning to use AVR to return back to US after activating my Canadian PR.
I have questions/queries on following:
- Can I use AVR to come back to US using my valid H1B i797?
- Does it make difference to go by air or road? If so, what is favorable option considering my scenario.
Thanks,
Alex
hi,
Background on our situation below:
1/ Currently self/spouse have expired H1B/H4 stamp in passport; we have approved H-1B/H-4 notice with I-94 valid till 2024.
2/ Both myself and my wife have a EAD/AP combo cards. I also have interfiling in process to EB-2, but attorneys have confirmed that my EAD/AP is valid for travel (even though they recommend I still stay on H1B status)
3/ Kid (<2 years) is US Citizen.
Both wife's and kid's passports are pending and no updates on CoPR but I received the updated communication from CIC that shows new CoPR expires Oct 2022. (this is our second CoPR, first one expired In 2020, peak covid during travel ban).
Thanks for reading this far.
Below are my questions, asking since I couldn't find this scenario discussed at least in the last 12 months here (please point me if I missed any threads).
1/ Given that our US GC (interfiling) is in process, we are still planning to try to do soft landing via road (once stamped passports are received). Will there be any issues to utilize AVR in this scenario?
2/ What kind of questions can we anticipate if we do soft landing and return in 1-2 days at border agents on both sides (given we are last stage in US GC)? anything specific to be prepared for?
3/ Received the PR approval through OINP (Ontario PNP) program. We will be doing soft landing in the border close to NY. But anything specific to be aware of (and expect officers to ask about) given that the PR approval was through PNP?
Any other pointers from someone who has been through this situation and can provide some feedback/ guidance is appreciated.
Thank you.
Thank you Tara. Much appreciated.As far as the process goes, your interfiling has nothing to do with Canadian side of things. In my opinion, you have a backup of coming back with AP in case any trouble with AVR. And I also think there should not be any trouble using AVR in the first place. You have backup, you should feel good about it.
oh btw I traveled through Air CanadaHey all,
I recently (last to last Saturday to be precise) traveled to Toronto to get my PR stamped and came back to the US (last Friday) on expired F-1 but valid I20 and I94 on AVR. The process as such was smooth. The airline personnel at the counter wasn't very much aware about the AVR process and asked questions such as why don't you go to India to renew your visa. Being on F-1 my I94 has a D/S stamp which means the duration of status, so had to explain that to her. Please carry a printout of the AVR from travel.gov so that you can show that to the person at the counter. I was very clear about what I wanted. So finally she called someone and gave me the boarding pass after asking for my US address.
With the immigration official, it was pretty straightforward. He asked me, why am I going to the US? I said I am studying there. He asked for my I20, passport, and asked when did I land in Canada? Then he asked are you looking for a revalidation? I said yes, please. He then stamped my passport, asked me to scan my boarding pass, and said you are free to go
I was definitely nervous and scared since my F-1 expired in 2015, but it happened smoothly. Just be confident and calm in front of the official especially since they should not get a feeling that something is different through your body language. I can totally understand the feeling but being calm will make the process very smooth
Hope this helps! Wishing anyone planning to do AVR success!