got temp green card what next

[smurfette1971 0]

hello all

Well I am finally living here in USA been here since aug 22

i got my green card for myself and children and SSN

the green cards expire in 2 years

what should i be doing next

what is my nextstep in this immigration process as i dont want the green card to expire and be shipped back to canada

please let me know anything i should be doing

thank you

[YuAndDan 153]

Next step is to file an I-751 within 90 days before card expiration. Mark your calendar, then start building relationship evidence for the day you file the I-751.

Sit back and relax for the next 2 years.

Also a Green-card is a Green-card, you are LPR until USCIS says otherwise. It is a Conditional Green-card, that is the condition is that you are still in a bonafide marital relationship at 2 year of LPR status. It is NOT a "Temporary" green-card.

[Flames9_RN 358]

hello all

Well I am finally living here in USA been here since aug 22

i got my green card for myself and children and SSN

the green cards expire in 2 years

what should i be doing next

what is my nextstep in this immigration process as i dont want the green card to expire and be shipped back to canada

please let me know anything i should be doing

thank you

quite simple---90 DAYS prior to the Expirary date on ur GREENCARD (nothing to do with wedding anniversary date)opens up the window where you filer the I-751. Just do it within that 90 days window! Keep track of time spent outside the USA of 24 hrs or longer as you need to jot that down! And if u apply for citizenship down the road, they want that info too!

[smurfette1971 0]

quite simple---90 DAYS prior to the Expirary date on ur GREENCARD (nothing to do with wedding anniversary date)opens up the window where you filer the I-751. Just do it within that 90 days window! Keep track of time spent outside the USA of 24 hrs or longer as you need to jot that down! And if u apply for citizenship down the road, they want that info too!

how do i file for usa citizenship and should i be doing this now also what happens if my canadian passport expires?? i have not left usa since i got here toooo scared to leave here

[Flames9_RN 358]

Nothing to be scared about!! I travel out of the USA often, as do others. Check out

for the I-751

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/86-removing-conditions-on-residency-general-discussion/

and for USA citizenship:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/114-us-citizenship-general-discussion/

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

I understand where you are coming from. I'm scared of a lot of things as well: spiders, bugs, ants, cars, trains, planes, dogs wolfs, lions, bears, and getting out of bed in the dark. I'm working at it though . . .

[Inky 1,110]

you apply for a new Canadian passport before it expires.... just like you always do the only difference is that you are applying from the USA and you will be mailing it to Canada. Go to the Passport Canada website and download the forms collect the evidence and package it all up. Mail it off to the correct address and wait for your new passport.

You cant apply for citizenship for like 3 years.. you haven't even done ROC yet.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Congratulations on your green card!

As others have advised you, you can renew your Canadian passport from the US. You would mail off the completed application with your birth certificate and expiring passport (make sure you request to get the old one back) to the Passport Office in Quebec. They are really good about getting it processed quickly - mine actually came back in about 2 weeks!

You can't apply for US Citizenship or a US passport yet. You can only get a US passport after you become a US citizen. You are now a Permanent Resident with a conditional 2 year card. The condition is that in 2 years from the date you got your green card (minus 90 days) you have a 90 day window of time in which you have to apply to 'remove the condition' by proving you have a valid marriage or you entered into this marriage for the right reasons and not to get an immigration benefit. When that application - the I-751 - is approved, you get an unconditional residency status and a card that is good for 10 years. (the card expires in 10 years, your PR status is permanent, so you just need to renew the card).

If you wish to apply for US citizenship, you will be eligible to do so after you have been married for at least 3 years AND have been a permanent resident for 3 years. You are allowed to apply 90 days before the 3rd anniversary of your green card. The process takes about 4 to 5 months, you have an interview where you have to pass the citizenship written and oral exams, and then take your oath of US citizenship. You would then have dual Canadian and US citizenship.

So, what you do now is enjoy your break from dealing with US immigration for the next 1 3/4 years. To make the next step easier on you, put aside a nice sized box now and over the next 21 months put into that box any type of document that shows the two of you mingling your lives and the lives of your children together financially, socially and physically. You might want to read over the I-751forum now to see the type of 'evidence' people provide so you get an idea of what you want to save in the box. It will make it a lot easier when the time comes to sort through the box and take the best evidence rather than trying to remember what evidence and documents you might have and where they might be .

As a green card holder you have official permission to live and work in the US so you can travel back to Canada for a visit and will be allowed back into the US with your green card. That is your proof so be very careful with it. There is no need to be frightened - it is very different than when you were travelling to the US as a visitor. Now you are a legal resident.

You would probably find it very useful to read over this booklet about being a Permanent Resident. "Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants" . It will answer a lot of your questions. You may want to have your husband read it as well so you are both aware of what you need to know: http://www.uscis.gov...ments/M-618.pdf

Good luck, and again, congratulations.

Edited January 1, 2011 by Kathryn41