Entering US for the first time with DV Visa package

[khalid_ahq 1]

Dear all, I have paid the GC fees for me and my family early after Visa interview, this will be months before entering POE, I plan to enter end of april, 2015 Before my visa expired on 24 May, 2015.

Please tell me how long it takes to get the physical GC mailed and SSN ??, Knowing that I have already asked for SSN in our DS260 application.

What is the best next steps after arrival in order to avoid delay?

I plan to back to finilize some issues after the final relocation, will back after 5 months to US finally.

is staying 35 days enough to get the physical green card and SSN and get driving license ?

Thank you very much

[khalid_ahq 1]

Case cycle for fees shows current accepted stage.

Request Type: USCIS Immigrant Fee

Case Received Date: Dec 21, 2014

Received as: E-file

Status: Case Received

Status Date: Dec 21, 2014

Payment: Submitted

[dhlunar 25]

The amount of time it takes to get the physical GC in the mail varies. My in-laws received theirs 4 weeks after arrival. However, I hear of others that take longer then that. The visa packet (the envelope that is given to you and told NOT TO OPEN and to turn into CBP on arrival) contains your immigrant file. The contents of the packet is sent by CBP to the USCIS Texas Service Center. Once it is received in Texas it waits in a que for GC processing. For my in-laws it took 11 days for their packets to get from the POE (JFK in NYC) to Texas. Then it took another 10 days before Texas started processing it.

In regards to SSN being issued. A majority of people who request to have a SSN automatically issued don't receive it and need to go to a SSA office. The same thing happened with my in-laws. They requested SSN be issued on their DS-260 but never received them. I ended up taking them to a local SSA office 11 days after arrival, and their cards arrived in the mail 4 days later. Some on this board have said they were able to go to SSA a couple of days after arrival to apply for their SSN with no issues. As long as your information is in SAVE (one of the government databases of immigrants) then you shouldn't have a problem when you apply for a SSN.

[khalid_ahq 1]

The amount of time it takes to get the physical GC in the mail varies. My in-laws received theirs 4 weeks after arrival. However, I hear of others that take longer then that. The visa packet (the envelope that is given to you and told NOT TO OPEN and to turn into CBP on arrival) contains your immigrant file. The contents of the packet is sent by CBP to the USCIS Texas Service Center. Once it is received in Texas it waits in a que for GC processing. For my in-laws it took 11 days for their packets to get from the POE (JFK in NYC) to Texas. Then it took another 10 days before Texas started processing it.

In regards to SSN being issued. A majority of people who request to have a SSN automatically issued don't receive it and need to go to a SSA office. The same thing happened with my in-laws. They requested SSN be issued on their DS-260 but never received them. I ended up taking them to a local SSA office 11 days after arrival, and their cards arrived in the mail 4 days later. Some on this board have said they were able to go to SSA a couple of days after arrival to apply for their SSN with no issues. As long as your information is in SAVE (one of the government databases of immigrants) then you shouldn't have a problem when you apply for a SSN.

Thank you so much for your reply, do you think it is risky to leave before receiving the GC, do they ask for it when travel outside US ? And why people say better to have it before travel outside US!

[dhlunar 25]

If you look at your visa it states "Upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidencing Permanent Residence for 1 year"

The endorsement is the CBP admitted stamp that you will get at POE. The visa with the stamp serves as your proof of permanent resident status for one year based on the date of the admitted stamp. More information can be found on page 40 of this document: http://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/carrier_info_guide.pdf The document is the guide given to carriers in order to assist them with what documents are consider acceptable in order to access a US POE.

When I took my in-laws to the local SSA office to apply for their SSN all they had was their passports with the endorsed immigrant visa. That, and the SS-5 (Social Security Number Application), was all the clerk at SSA needed in order to process their applications.

One issue though is if you are not in the US when your GC and SS card is issued who or were are you going to have it mailed to? The post office might not deliver your GC or SS card unless your last name is on the mailbox. My wife and her parents have the same last name. However, when they received their GC it came with C/O (In Care Of) my wife's name. For some odd reason the mailman actually knocked on the door and hand delivered the cards to my mother-in-law. I did speak with the normal mailman that deleivers to our address and informed him of my in-laws coming to live with us. The mailman asked if the last name was the same because he doesn't really look at the first name.

In terms of getting a drivers license it depends on the state in which you intend to live in. Each state is different in what documents they require.

Edited February 14, 2015 by dhlunar

[khalid_ahq 1]

If you look at your visa it states "Upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidencing Permanent Residence for 1 year"

The endorsement is the CBP admitted stamp that you will get at POE. The visa with the stamp serves as your proof of permanent resident status for one year based on the date of the admitted stamp. More information can be found on page 40 of this document: http://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/carrier_info_guide.pdf The document is the guide given to carriers in order to assist them with what documents are consider acceptable in order to access a US POE.

When I took my in-laws to the local SSA office to apply for their SSN all they had was their passports with the endorsed immigrant visa. That, and the SS-5 (Social Security Number Application), was all the clerk at SSA needed in order to process their applications.

One issue though is if you are not in the US when your GC and SS card is issued who or were are you going to have it mailed to? The post office might not deliver your GC or SS card unless your last name is on the mailbox. My wife and her parents have the same last name. However, when they received their GC it came with C/O (In Care Of) my wife's name. For some odd reason the mailman actually knocked on the door and hand delivered the cards to my mother-in-law. I did speak with the normal mailman that deleivers to our address and informed him of my in-laws coming to live with us. The mailman asked if the last name was the same because he doesn't really look at the first name.

In terms of getting a drivers license it depends on the state in which you intend to live in. Each state is different in what documents they require.

Thanks this is very helpful, but first time I know about names, because I put the mail of my relative in the DS 260 as my address and as the address I wish my GC to be mailed to !! Hope that would be fine !! Many friends told me not to try to change this address as in the DS 260 Otherwise will have delay in receiving the GC.

Regards