working right after landing with IR-1 visa

[jobaba 1]

I have a job offer in the US and they required INS Forms 688 or 688A showed to them the first 72 hours after I start working there. I am going to enter with my IR-1 visa and start working within a week. My understand is I would get my green card in a month. So I am wondering if that temporary green card is either form 688 or 688A or something else?

It was stated that:

Acceptable documentation includes, but is not limited to: a United States passport or social

security card, a certificate of United States citizenship or naturalization or INS Forms 688 or 688A.

[Mrs O. 29]

The stamp you get in your passport at POE is enough evidence of your authorization to work.

[Darnell 8,479]

688/688A is an EAD card, yes?

yer getting a I-551 thingie at the poe, so combine that with a SSN, and you can work.

regardless, you not have the big picture yet.

to understand the big picture, please study form I-9 .

good luck !

Edited November 17, 2012 by Darnell

[aaron2020 11,652]

I have a job offer in the US and they required INS Forms 688 or 688A showed to them the first 72 hours after I start working there. I am going to enter with my IR-1 visa and start working within a week. My understand is I would get my green card in a month. So I am wondering if that temporary green card is either form 688 or 688A or something else?

It was stated that:

Acceptable documentation includes, but is not limited to: a United States passport or social

security card, a certificate of United States citizenship or naturalization or INS Forms 688 or 688A.

You need two things to legally work in the US; 1) work authorization and 2) a social security card.

When you enter the US, you will have work authorization based on the IR-1 visa (which upon entry is stamped as a temporary 1 year green card). However, you will not have a Social Security Number card. Without a SSN, you cannot work. It will take about 2-4 weeks to get the SSN.

[jobaba 1]

thanks for all the replies! I do have a SSN since I was in the US before, and I kept the SSN card. so I guess I can start right after my POE then, yay!

You need two things to legally work in the US; 1) work authorization and 2) a social security card.

When you enter the US, you will have work authorization based on the IR-1 visa (which upon entry is stamped as a temporary 1 year green card). However, you will not have a Social Security Number card. Without a SSN, you cannot work. It will take about 2-4 weeks to get the SSN.

[slovak-us 1]

thanks for all the replies! I do have a SSN since I was in the US before, and I kept the SSN card. so I guess I can start right after my POE then, yay!

Hi, how come you have the SSN card? How and when did you get it before you get your CR1 visa?

Thanks for your answer in advance.

[jobaba 1]

I had F1 visa in the US for 10 years. I could work in campus for up to 20 hours during school and up to 40 hours during summer.

Hi, how come you have the SSN card? How and when did you get it before you get your CR1 visa?

Thanks for your answer in advance.

[Douglas Custodio 7]

But your social security card allows you to work while on a valid student visa. You need to check with your local social security office to update your information there.

[aaron2020 11,652]

thanks for all the replies! I do have a SSN since I was in the US before, and I kept the SSN card. so I guess I can start right after my POE then, yay!

Cool. You can start to work immediately. Familiarize yourself with Form I-9, the Employment Eligibility Verification Form. It is required for all US jobs.

Make sure that your SS card does not have the "Not authorized for work" statement. If it does, you need to get it fixed AFTER immigrating and activating your LPR status.

[jobaba 1]

Thanks Aaron!

Just checked, my SSN card says "valid for work only with INS authorization"...hmmm...perhaps it's better to check with the local office when I get there...

Cool. You can start to work immediately. Familiarize yourself with Form I-9, the Employment Eligibility Verification Form. It is required for all US jobs.

Make sure that your SS card does not have the "Not authorized for work" statement. If it does, you need to get it fixed AFTER immigrating and activating your LPR status.

[aaron2020 11,652]

Thanks Aaron!

Just checked, my SSN card says "valid for work only with INS authorization"...hmmm...perhaps it's better to check with the local office when I get there...

INS no longer exists, it's now USCIS.

Your stamped immigration visa will serve as your temporary 1 year green card. It is the "INS authorization" you need to work. It should override the language on the SSN card. However, check this all out with your employer. Some employers are not even aware that the stamped visa is even a green card. Work with your employer to ensure this doesn't become a problem before you get here.

[Harpa Timsah 13,260]

Thanks Aaron!

Just checked, my SSN card says "valid for work only with INS authorization"...hmmm...perhaps it's better to check with the local office when I get there...

Nope, no need to check. The I-551 stamp you get in your passport proves your eligibility to work. You will be good to go, from day one.

Once you do get the GC, it is a good idea to update your status with the SSA and you will get a card without that wording, but having that wording now will not hamper you in any way.

Look at the I-9, (that is letter i number 9) as suggested above.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I believe if you visit the nearest Social Security office, you can update you SSN information and find out if your card is still valid. They will give you an employment letter, that confirms you applied for a social security card, that acts as a temporary card while all the information is being verified.

[gstrength 20]

Thanks Aaron!

Just checked, my SSN card says "valid for work only with INS authorization"...hmmm...perhaps it's better to check with the local office when I get there...

don't worry you will be fine. You can start working as soon as you go through POE. Your INS authorization is your I-551, later, you can go to the SSA and request a card without the legend.

A. Elimination of the Forms I-688, I-688A, and I-688B

In October 2009, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the following I-688s were all expired and they would no longer verify the alien information found these forms

I-688 (Temporary Resident Card)

I-688A (Employment Authorization Card)

I-688B (Employment Authorization Card).

Further, on December 1, 2009, DHS removed the forms from the list of acceptable documents found in the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) I-MAIN Production and the SAVE Initial Verification document list.

Based on the DHS decision

in December 2009, SSA updated SSNAP and SS-5 Assistant to remove the I-688s as evidence options; and

on January 6, 2010, SSA instructed the FOs to no longer accept any variation of the I-688 as evidence for age, identity, or work-authorized lawful alien status for an SSN.

Two documents have been added to List A, on the I-9 form, (Documents that Establish Both Identity and Employment Authorization) on the List of Acceptable Documents:

A temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa in addition to the foreign passport with a temporary I-551 stamp And, the other one has to do with documents from US territories, so doesn't apply in this case.

Goos luck!

[pushbrk 13,632]

Nope, no need to check. The I-551 stamp you get in your passport proves your eligibility to work. You will be good to go, from day one.

Once you do get the GC, it is a good idea to update your status with the SSA and you will get a card without that wording, but having that wording now will not hamper you in any way.

Look at the I-9, (that is letter i number 9) as suggested above.

And the I-9 form requires one item from list A. See item 3 in list A. It would be your endorsed visa.