Can you leave the US without a GC in hand?

[Eclipse]

What is the name of your state? NY

My sister-in-law's family just received green cards and will be coming to the US in a week or so. Her older son, however, will have to go back a week later to finish up his last school semester before coming back here for good. They are worried if he is allowed to leave the US so soon after arriving here, especially since his green card will not come by mail yet. When it does, someone will bring it to him (they have lots of family members travelling back and forth) so he'll have it with him when he comes back in a few weeks.

 

[SHORTY LONG]

Why not just get him enrolled in a HS here, and they can assist in getting his transcript.

 

[Eclipse]

Because he's just about to graduate over there and here without good knowledge of English he would have to repeat a year at the very least. Plus he is doing a more advanced course of study than what he would be able to find here on a short notice.

 

[evcalyptos]

What is the name of your state? NY

My sister-in-law's family just received green cards and will be coming to the US in a week or so. Her older son, however, will have to go back a week later to finish up his last school semester before coming back here for good. They are worried if he is allowed to leave the US so soon after arriving here, especially since his green card will not come by mail yet. When it does, someone will bring it to him (they have lots of family members travelling back and forth) so he'll have it with him when he comes back in a few weeks.

It sounds like your family have received Immigrant Visas (not yet Green Cards).

When they immigrate to the US with these visas, they will become US Permanent Residents at their entry. Their visas will be endorsed with their entry date, and those endorsed visas are the documentary equivalent of a Green Card.
Your nephew will be able to travel on that endorsed visa just as if it were a Green Card; it is a valid re-entry document for the US.

Someone --can-- bring the Green Card to him, but he doesn't --need-- it to get back into the US.

They should expect it to take about 4 weeks to get the Green Cards. If they haven't received any welcome letters or anything else after 4 weeks, they should go to their Local Office of USCIS to follow up. Same for the Social Security cards, if they ordered them on Page 4 of their visa applications DS-230. Except that they should follow up those with their SSA office.

If nephew will be gone from the US for more than 6 months, you may want to get additional advice on any steps he needs to take to preserve his PR status.

 

[Eclipse]

Thank you!