Round-Trip Ticket and Advance Parole

[AnaMaley]

Hi Everyone!

Has anyone ever traveled to the U.S. on a K-1 visa using a round-trip ticket?

(The second trip is for visiting your home country later)

(Yes, I know that we have to get Advance Parole before traveling.)

Is this allowed? What's the law?

[nichole]

I don't think there's any laws written about plane tickets.

Lots of people go on a round trip ticket because round trip fare is usually cheaper than one way. POE with K1 visa processing has nothing to do with your plane ticket arrangements. They won't ask.

Unless the ticket is refundable, the return is normally a "throw away." Otherwise you return home on it, then how do you get back? Buy an expensive one way? Or try to keep guessing the exact dates you want to continue this backward trip planning?

To save money purchase a non-refundable ticket at least 14 days in advance. Pick a return date that is off season and mid week. Play around with returns until you find the cheapest ticket. Our round trip return leg was about 8 months out. Before that return date, cancel the ticket if you aren't going to use it. Don't just fail to show up.

I read an isolated incident where, at an adjustment of status interview, the officer told the K1 that he had left the US on a certain date and thus abandoned his application so they had to deny the green card. The date was the return plane ticket he did not use, but did not cancel. Speculation was that the airlines resold the seat last minute when he didn't check in, but failed to remove the original seat holder's name from the manifest. Somehow the USCIS had a record that he flew out of the US on that date. It was difficult to clear up and prove he wasn't on the plane. So best to call the airlines and cancel well in advance if you're not going to use a ticket..

[nichole]

Thank you, Nichole.

So, you think that if I cancel the second part of the ticket, I will be fine?

That's what we did about a month before it was scheduled. That other case was a very odd fluke, but a good enough reason to remember to cancel the ticket.

[nichole]

Yes AOS complete from a K1 all smooth sailing with no mistakes or requests for evidence. I just don't know of any instance where immigration would care what kind of ticket you buy to get here. Your personal travel is not their concern as long as you enter at a proper port and turn over your brown envelope to them and have the CBP officer write on your I-94 and hand it back to you. (That's called entering with inspection in their jargon).

Things I have seen reported that have gone wrong:

Nobody asked for the envelope, so K1 left airport with it still in their possession.

I-94 (lower half) wasn't given to person or they lost it.

Officer marked I-94 as a B2 or other visa by mistake so the K1 entry wasn't officially recorded in the S.A.V.E. database.

[nichole]

He called Continental airlines.
"I'd like to cancel my reservation for [date]"
"Do you want to change the date for a fee?"
"No, I won't be needing this ticket. My plans have changed."

That was just the courteous thing to do so the airline could sell the seat is why we did it. We hadn't been cautioned to do that.

There was no need to prove anything to USCIS. They didn't ask. They won't ask at your POE if you have a return ticket. It's not something that comes up in interviews. I participate in a much more active immigration website and have read of hundreds of round trip tickets, as well as POEs and interviews. Tickets are not part of qualifying. We didn't have an AOS interview. Many K1s don't. They just mail the green card.

I can see you're a very nervous type. I've never been worried about immigration because we're a legitimate couple just going through the required steps without a lawyer. So you should do whatever makes you feel best if you have something to hide. Acting nervous in front of officials is a way to get them wondering what you are hiding, so try to relax and show confidence.