might be a silly question, but...

[melb2012 2]

Does anyone know if once you are approved for the Green Card and you get a stamp on the passport, are you able to visit the US for 2 weeks on a tourist visa, and then come back in 3 months and re-enter using your Green Card when you move? Thanks, folks.

[NikLR 13,220]

Once you have the stamp on your passport you can come and go from the USA as much as you want. You no longer need a tourist visa unless you abandon your GC.

[melb2012 2]

Once you have the stamp on your passport you can come and go from the USA as much as you want. You no longer need a tourist visa unless you abandon your GC.

Thanks. Sorry if I wasn't more clear. Would immigration interrogate us if the initial trip to the US would be only temporary, like a 2 week vacation, and then we'd be moving permanently in 3 month afterwords.

[Hypnos 6,576]

Your I-551 passport stamp serves as temporary proof of a green card, usually for up to one year (sometimes six months, it will say on the stamp itself).

Provided international trips are under six months, you can enter and leave using it without issue.

[NikLR 13,220]

Some people get asked more questions no matter what happens, and others walk through easily. You have the stamp in there that serves as a green card until the actual green card arrives in the mail. Think of the stamp in your passport as a green card. So they might ask you more questions but you're a legal US resident after you POE. You have a legal right to enter and leave the US as much as you want. As long as you are in the USA more than you are out of it (essentially you shouldn't leave for longer than 6 months.) But yes you can enter, stay for a few weeks, leave and get ready to move, then move a few months later. That's legal and allowed once you have the stamp in your passport. It is, for all intensive purposes, a temporary green card.

I cannot tell you if they will ask you more questions than average. It depends on the individual.

[melb2012 2]

Thank you both for the valuable feedback! much appreciated

[NikLR 13,220]

You're welcome.

[Ryan H 3,795]

Moving from IR-1/CR-1 Progress Reports to Working & Traveling During US Immigration forum; topic is a question about international travel and not a spouse visa case status update

**Organizer hat off**

Your I-551 passport stamp serves as temporary proof of a green card, usually for up to one year (sometimes six months, it will say on the stamp itself).

This is not correct anymore. At the bottom of the visa itself is the following annotation, "Upon Endorsement Serves As Temporary I-551 Evidencing Permanent Residence For 1 Year." CBP will then place a standard admission stamp on the passport page next to the visa and write in relevant information in certain fields that are on the admission stamps. It's a combination of the visa and an admission stamp on the page next to the visa that was placed by CBP that acts as the temporary green card, not a stamp in of itself.

[Hypnos 6,576]

We're talking about two different things.

You have described an endorsed immigrant visa (which, once endorsed in the manner you describe, acts as a green card for a period of up to one year).

I am talking about an I-551 stamp from AoS, which is what I thought the OP was referring to, which is given in the manner that I stated.

Since it looks like the OP filed for IR-1 / CR-1 then it seems it's the endorsed visa rather than an AoS stamp (they are two different things as you pointed out, although they serve the same purpose).

Edited November 28, 2012 by Hypnos