Traveling on Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR) while marriage-based AOS (I-485) was pending?
I’m currently on H1B, married to a U.S. citizen, and my adjustment of status is pending. My attorney is being very conservative and strongly advised against international travel right now because of the current administration and increased uncertainty at ports of entry.
Because of that advice, my wife and I already canceled our honeymoon and a few other important life events/trips over the past year. Now we’re expecting our first child, and realistically we probably won’t be able to travel internationally for at least another year after the baby arrives.
We were hoping to do a short babymoon in Mexico using AVR and return through SFO. I technically meet the AVR requirements, but I’m trying to understand how risky this actually is in practice for people with pending marriage-based AOS.
Would really appreciate hearing:
- Recent AVR experiences (especially through SFO)
- Whether CBP gave any issues because of pending I-485
- If you traveled on H1B + pending AOS without AP
- Whether attorneys were also advising against it lately
I know nobody can give legal advice besides my attorney — just trying to hear real-world experiences before we decide whether to give up on this too.
Thanks in advance.