Crossing a border from Canada to US by land for GC activation and returning to Canada without Green Card

[Leo The Great 86]

Is it possible to enter U.S. for GC activation and then return to Canada same da. I have few questions:

1. Would it create any problems at the border if it enter the US without GC next time once on I-551 stamp.

2. Do i have to go to Social Security office to apply for SSN it or it can done at border.

3. Can i open US bank account with just GC stamp or i need utility bills under my name on US address. Can I use Canadian address after activation of GC for bank account temporarily or i have to provide US address. Are there any other documents needed for opening bank account?

Edited October 8, 2023 by Leo The Great

[Crazy Cat 39,422]

1.  Some people have done this without issues.  However, read the link below.

2.  If you marked the box on the DS-260, it should be mailed to you automatically.  If not, then go to a local SSA office.  You can't do it at the border.

3.  Depends on the bank policy.  I would think you need a US address.

 

 

[llcoolwil 99]

I spoke with an officer at my local land POE and asked if it would cause any issues. She said that it is not advised to activate just to turn back around. And if you are doing that, do not say you are. I didn't want to take the chance and I just waited to activate it when I finally was moving by air. 

[mam521 1,745]

You have to factor in other repercussions of flag poling.  The whole idea of a green card is to become a permanent resident of the US.  You activate that visa, that is the assumption by both the Canadian and US governments.  Depending on the province you live in, you forfeit your provincial health care and other social benefits provided by the Canadian and Provincial governments because you are a permanent resident of the USA.  

 

If there's a reason to flag pole, go for it, understanding there are consequences.  If it's just so you activate - I'd wait until you're actually moving.  You can work in the US with your stamped visa while waiting for your SSN.  You can get on with life as intended.  If you need a bank account, I'd look into cross border banking and open an account and get a US credit card account prior to even leaving Canada through one of the Canadian parent banks that offer the services (RBC and TD have comprehensive packages).  

[Leo The Great 86]

Thanks for the reply. My mom got GC stamp on her passport but dad returned home with passport with no visa because he was given DS-5535 with additional info to fill out. Clearance may take up to several months. My mom visa will expired in March 2024 and she does not want to move to US without dad she is working in Canada and want to make sure dad will get visa. She can wail until  her visa expire to see if dad is out of AP but it is remote possibility given the history of Montreal. 

Any advice how to with deal with this situation like one person is approved and other person is waiting?

[Chancy 6,233]

26 minutes ago, Leo The Great said:

My mom got GC stamp on her passport

 

Do you mean that your mom got her IR5 visa?  An IR5 visa is not a GC stamp, as GC stamps can only be obtained from inside the US.

 

[mam521 1,745]

54 minutes ago, Leo The Great said:

Thanks for the reply. My mom got GC stamp on her passport but dad returned home with passport with no visa because he was given DS-5535 with additional info to fill out. Clearance may take up to several months. My mom visa will expired in March 2024 and she does not want to move to US without dad she is working in Canada and want to make sure dad will get visa. She can wail until  her visa expire to see if dad is out of AP but it is remote possibility given the history of Montreal. 

Any advice how to with deal with this situation like one person is approved and other person is waiting?

If your mom was issued her I-551 and went through the US border, had it stamped and returned to Canada, her greencard has been activated.  That endorsement stamp in her passport indicates she is a US permanent resident now and as mentioned, her Canadian social benefits may have been ceased and she'll need to look at purchasing health care and other coverages.  The expiration date on that visa itself doesn't matter once endorsed - she is a permanent resident of the US and the endorsed visa serves as a temporary greencard for up to a year.  If she plans to be outside of the US, she needs to apply for a re-entry permit to remain outside of the US for any length of time beyond a visit.  

 

If your mom hasn't yet entered the US, that expiration date listed should be 6 months from her immigration medical or interview, whichever came first.  She will need to enter the US before March 2024 to activate her greencard, irrespective of whether or not your father has made it through extended AP.  

 

The unfortunate reality is that immigration sometimes separates people.  Your mom may have to come to the US without your dad until his AP is sorted or you file a WoM and a decision is made.  It's challenging, but it's not an unheard of or unusual part of the immigration process.  

[Leo The Great 86]

38 minutes ago, mam521 said:

If your mom was issued her I-551 and went through the US border, had it stamped and returned to Canada, her greencard has been activated.  That endorsement stamp in her passport indicates she is a US permanent resident now and as mentioned, her Canadian social benefits may have been ceased and she'll need to look at purchasing health care and other coverages.  The expiration date on that visa itself doesn't matter once endorsed - she is a permanent resident of the US and the endorsed visa serves as a temporary greencard for up to a year.  If she plans to be outside of the US, she needs to apply for a re-entry permit to remain outside of the US for any length of time beyond a visit.  

 

If your mom hasn't yet entered the US, that expiration date listed should be 6 months from her immigration medical or interview, whichever came first.  She will need to enter the US before March 2024 to activate her greencard, irrespective of whether or not your father has made it through extended AP.  

 

The unfortunate reality is that immigration sometimes separates people.  Your mom may have to come to the US without your dad until his AP is sorted or you file a WoM and a decision is made.  It's challenging, but it's not an unheard of or unusual part of the immigration process.  

thanks. it makes sense

Edited October 13, 2023 by Leo The Great