What is Advanced Parole and Why Does my Spouse Need It?

Advanced Parole is basically permission to leave and return to the United States while your immigration case is pending. Permission to reenter the US is granted if the person has a Travel Document with them when the return to the US border. The document is fairly simple looking, it contains a photo, fingerprint and details about the number of times the person can reenter the US and for how long this is permitted.

The Travel Document can become a vital document should your spouse wish to return home during the adjustment of status waiting period. This could be a vacation or an emergency situation requiring short notice travel plans. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you obtain the travel document even if plans to return home are not likely.

Here is why:

• The Fiance Visa is a single entry Visa, meaning once your spouse exits US Borders, they cannot return without a different kind of visa showing permission to enter.
• A pending status adjustment case will not be accpeted by border officials. Even a cruise into international waters can present the same scenario on return.

Note: If your spouse leaves the US without a travel document, it will be viewed as abandonment of their adjustment of status Case. Correcting this issue will have to be done from your spouces home country and can be very difficult to resolve. In essence the sponsor would have to apply for the spouces travel document and request it be sent to their home country. A biometric interview (for fingerprinting) would also be required at the local embassy. As you can imagine this would become an expensive and frustrating situation for any newly married couple.

Should I obtain a Social Security Card for my Fiancé?

Yes! As soon as your Fiancé arrives, go and register her for a social security number. It will take a couple weeks for her card to arrive, but there are so many American forms and processes that require a Social Security Number, that you will find yourself glad you got this early. Apply within the first 10 days she is here if possible. If her K-1 Visa is close to expiration (married or not) she will not get a card.

In fact, she can’t get a SSN later unless she has either a work permission card or adjustment of status. Both of these processes take months to complete, and during that time she will not be able to work legally, apply for a bank account or file taxes. Once married you will also need her SSN for any work related benefits your company provides such as medical, dental and life insurance plans.

What should I know about her getting a drivers license?

If your fiancé knows how to drive and has a license from her home country, get her driving license after she has her Social Security Number. This will be easier while her K-1 is still valid. Even if she marries you, her K-1 will expire in 90 days. Nothing can be done to extend that date, and applying for her adjustment is not automatic. For this reason, many government and authority offices do not recognize the proof that you applied for status (I-797) as a valid document. Your fiancé can drive on an International license for a period of 3-6 months usually, but many insurance companies do not recognize International licenses. This puts you and your fiancé at risk should an accident occur. A local license cures this issue and helps her establish residency in the state. It is also looked at by employers as a way to establish a background check for a potential employee, again this can work for your and her benefit.

How Can I help my Fiancée Adjust to life in the U.S.?

There are many things you can do and should anticipate doing after your Fiancée arrives. Imagine you are in her situation: You have left everything and everyone you know behind and now have to start over making friends and adjusting to life in a foreign country. The appliances are different in the house. The TV Stations are all in English and the Radio only plays American music. It will take some time for your Fiancée to adjust to so many new things at once but you can help.

A survey of American husbands who married Russian women revealed that Russian TV and Radio made a big impact on their wives ability to assimilate into American Culture. It allows your Fiancée to relax, to see and hear news and media from her home country. After all, she is translating non stop throughout the day and needs some time to let her mind calm down. Our most recommended service is the kind using a set top box that connects to the Internet. This provides the most channles at an affordable rate, while allowing your spouse to watch shows on the TV rather than a small computer screen.

Russian discussion groups are also very popular throughout the world. You can find local Russian speakers, many who may be in the same situation as you, by searching sites such as MeetUp.com This can be a great resource for making for making friends and meeting other Russians.