Trip to Grand Canyon AZ with parents.

[sasidhar79]

Hi,

I am on H1b and this weekend I am travelling to Grand Canyon AZ with my parents and spouse to visit Grand Canyon.

I am going to carry my passport, spouse's passport and our H1b,H4 extension documents.
My parents will be carrying their passports as well.

Please let me know if any of our IV members have recently traveled in AZ and have been pulled over and had their immigration documents checked.

Please share your experience.

thank you regards
sasi

[In_Immigration_Limbo]

I live in Phoenix and have been to the Grand Canyon many times. My understanding is the border patrol is only allowed to set up checkpoints within 100 miles of the border. This means if you travel north from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon you will be out of reach of the 100 mile limit and will not be stopped. If you travel west from Phoenix to L.A. or San Diego (or from L.A. or San Diego east into Arizona), or south from Phoenix to Tucson, especially if you go south of Tucson, you are almost guaranteed to be stopped at a checkpoint and they will ask you for your papers and interview you at secondary inspection. Like I said, if you are traveling north from Phoenix, relax and enjoy your border patrol- free trip!

I heard a horror story of a family making a wrong turn near the Mexico border and getting stuck on the international bridge and being forced to return through American customs, and they were on EAD and did not have AP or H-1 status and had their I-485 denied due to abandonment. What a crazy system where you can be deported for making a wrong turn while driving!! I just avoid southern AZ to be safe

[psaxena]

Well you may need to carry your high school certificates, marriage certificate, SSN , Insurance Card and letter from the company stating that you will join your work visiting grand canyon and will not settle at the bottom of the canyon with Navajo tribes, this may add an extra luggage to your trip.............

Just kidding,

Its been 7 years in Phoenix, no one ever asked for my passport or anything , just carry your drivers (which anycase anyways you have to). I live 3 hours away from it , and just drive almost everywhere and never ever had any problems. I am a regular visitor to even San Diego and Las vegas and LA , no one bothers us, not even the border patrol. We see them all the time and even been pulled over but never been asked about the immigration status. They work on information about someone specific and do not haggle everyone who comes across.

This is also a rumor that someone was forced to go across the border and when they came back lost their I-485 etc etc.. all BS and scare stories from anti immigrants who just hate everyone .

There is nothing like that , enjoy your trip. Drink lots and lots of water and put ton to Sunscreen everywhere. Also never leave the Chewing gum packs in your car in the sun.

Originally Posted by sasidhar79

Hi,

I am on H1b and this weekend I am travelling to Grand Canyon AZ with my parents and spouse to visit Grand Canyon.

I am going to carry my passport, spouse's passport and our H1b,H4 extension documents.
My parents will be carrying their passports as well.

Please let me know if any of our IV members have recently traveled in AZ and have been pulled over and had their immigration documents checked.

Please share your experience.

thank you regards
sasi

[sasidhar79]

Originally Posted by sasidhar79

Hi,

I am on H1b and this weekend I am travelling to Grand Canyon AZ with my parents and spouse to visit Grand Canyon.

I am going to carry my passport, spouse's passport and our H1b,H4 extension documents.
My parents will be carrying their passports as well.

Please let me know if any of our IV members have recently traveled in AZ and have been pulled over and had their immigration documents checked.

Please share your experience.

thank you regards
sasi

Thank you very much for all the information and funny comments.

what about SB1070 how well is it implemented ?

[In_Immigration_Limbo]

Originally Posted by sasidhar79

Thank you very much for all the information and funny comments.

what about SB1070 how well is it implemented ?

Not implemented yet. It's being argued before the supreme court and awaiting a decision about whether it is constitutional. It would be an annoyance for legal immigrants in Arizona as you would have to be careful to carry your papers with you everywhere.

[patchsk]

I can't tell about Arizona but we were travelling from Brownsville, Tx to Houston and there was a border patrol check. They asked what is our status and then asked to go to secondary check where they asked for the h1b paper and passport. If your passport has a valid visa stamp then you do not need to show H1b. In my case the visa was expired so I have to show wife's and my H1b approval copies. They did verify it thoroughly but they don't bother you as longs as you show valid H1b approval copy.
So passport, H1b approval notice. It would not hurt carrying employer offer letter if you still have it.

[sasidhar79]

well I had similar experience with Border Patrol while moving from Houston TX to Los Angeles CA. Very courteous and nice they looked at our documents and let us go, and I even asked them whether there would be anymore such checkpoints and they mentioned that their's is the last on I-10.

[Desertfox]

I have been living in Phoenix area for seven years, and I drove to CA via I-8 and I-10 on numerous occasions. We were stopped only once on I-8 at a border patrol checkpoint, but they barely looked at our passports and let us go. All our visa stamps were expired, but they didn't ask for additional documents.