Advance Parole is permission to enter the United States.  If you plan to enter the United States using an Advance Parole travel document (as opposed to a valid travel visa or Green Card), be prepared for longer than normal processing times.  It is very likely that those entering on advance parole will be asked to go through secondary inspection, which means that Immigration officials will more thoroughly inspect your documents and ask you more detailed questions regarding your immigration status.

Common Advance Parole users are individuals who have pending Green Card applications, either family or employment based, or DACA recipients who are traveling internationally.  For individuals asked to go through secondary inspection, be prepared for questions regarding your basis for Advance Parole. For example, if your family based Green Card application is pending, the officer may ask you about your relationship to the petitioner. The same holds for employment based applicants, though they will ask you about your position within your company. Derivative spouses should be prepared with information regarding their spouse’s employment.

If traveling on Advance Parole, allow yourself extra time – approximately 1-3 hours.  However, if possible, it is best to travel using your underlying immigration status as opposed to relying on Advance Parole. Regardless, always make sure your passport is stamped to accurately reflect your proper length of admission and status in the U.S.  Dayzad Law will continue to monitor processing of Advance Parole and any other issues that may arise when foreign nationals attempt to enter the U.S.