mika__

Did you pay the $220 fee for GC?

~~MOved to General Immigration Discussion, from IR1/CR~ P&P~~

You can also become a student of the rest of the immigration process.  

If you paid the fee for processing green card,  it will arrive to the address given
if you marked the box on DS 260 for USCIS to do the SS card,  that will also come to address given 
IF not,  you need to take passport with IR1 stamp to SS office for that number /  call to see if they are open or how processing if not open
 
you can apply for learner's permit to drive or a state ID with the IR1 stamp on passport
you can look for work
you can take classes in tech or college
you can volunteer and meet people
 
congratulations

Wells Fargo will open an account for you without SSN. You can also open an account with a bank 100% online like Chime if you just want to send the money over. 
 
When I changed my name, I mailed my EAD to the SSA to get the name updated on the card. They mailed everything back. The card arrived 1 week later. 
 
I would send the passport with the visa, since that's also proof of LPR status. And if it gets lost, it's easier to replace than the GC.

ill give it a go, thank you so much for your help I appreciate it alot!

Chase is on the list of banks that do not require a SSN to open an account.

Proabably not the exact answer you are looking for, but maybe it will help in your original problem. 
 
Can you try opening a bank account online ? I opened a Chase and BoA account checking online and had my debit cards sent to my home in 5 business days. Maybe that will help. 
 
If I were you, I would not send GC physical card in mail. Its not that you cannot trust SS, just that in the middle of pandaemic, with rules and procedures changing constantly, its more probable that things might go a-miss. 

I am not sure I would mail a GC to the SSA.  Did you look at doing this online?  Do you have a CA drivers license or state ID?

Your Green Card will be mailed to you automatically within the next few months.  If you marked the box to receive a SSN, then the Social Security card will be mailed to you also.
 
Now, you can relax for a few years....until you decide to apply for citizenship.

Hello, I moved here from Canada in May 2019. I had my money in RBC bank Canada too. Here is what I did.

While in Canada, I went to my RBC bank and they opened an RBC US account for me  (Just took a few minutes to do that) and I transferred a little money into that US account (their exchange rate was not that great). They gave me a debit card for that US account too right away. I left some money back in my Canada account (for any unexpected expenses like paying tax, and that was a good thing as I did need to return some Ontario trillium benefit credits back to CRA after I moved here and I could just transferred it from that account easily).  The rest of the money which was a big amount, I split into 3 and made it as 3 bank drafts in Canadian currency and brought it with me. At the buffalo land border, I presented the 3 bank drafts along with the filled out form for declaring the money but they didn’t take it from me. They just glanced at it and returned the form back to me saying they didn’t need it. I don’t know why and I was trying to hand it back to them as I wanted to make sure they had proof that I declared the money I was bringing in as it was a big amount;  but they wouldn’t take it. I guess it is because they will have a record of the money movement when the Canadian bank actually transfers the money to the US bank when I deposit the bank drafts here. 

The reason for bringing the drafts in Canadian currency was so that I could deposit it whenever I saw that the currency conversion rate was better (as they convert it to US currency when depositing in the bank here). I could have taken the bank drafts as US currency(RBC canada was insisting on it), but in that case they would convert it all that day itself into US currency and then make the draft and their exchange rate was bad. I had opened a TD bank account in the US after coming here and I deposited the RBC drafts there on different days. I also pulled out all the money from the TFSA and RRSP as I didn’t want to pay taxes on those here (savings on TFSA is not tax free in the US). 
RBC US has very few physical branches in the US, but you can use their debit cards in most of the ATMs.

Using services like transferwise etc. as mentioned above are very good suggestions. Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to look into those options before moving here, so I have no experience with that  . By the way, if you go to the Canada forum on VJ, there is a thread dedicated to this topic, if I remember right. It was very helpful for me . I suggest you  read through it when you get some time before the move. Actually there is a lot of good information regarding different topics related to move from Canada on the Canada forum.

Best wishes for the move!

 

Transfer wise is a option. I have an account with them, and their bank card allows me to withdraw funds from anywhere in the world at a good exchange rate. It would cost you a little over 300 canadian to transfer 46,000 using transfer wise.  See current rate below. You can bring a cashier's check if you feel safer that way, it will take at least 5-7 days to clear when you deposit it, and then the conversion rate can hurt. You could just leave it in the account, bring a few thousand with you to start with, then transfer after you get an account setup. 

EFT or Bank Check easiest way... alternatively, my bank in home country refunds all fees and charges for overseas atm usage so I just use that no need to transfer 

RBC have branches in the US, you can open one without a SS number and you may get a better rates by just moving it to the US part of RBC,  https://www.rbcbank.com/cross-border/faqs.html?view=bank-accounts 
 

Have you heard of transferwise?... Check them out. 

We have been using Transferwise as well for the past two years and have always had a great experience. Their currency conversion rates and transfer fees are very reasonable IMO. The amounts we exchanged so far have never exceeded $5,000, so we will probably explore all options before he moves here just to be sure. Good luck with your journey, OP!

Same.
 
Left my money in my UK bank account which I just administered online for a few months until I had a US bank account set up. Used TransferWise to move from UK bank to US bank as it was cheaper than a direct bank transfer from my UK bank. It was pretty hassle free.
 
edit: I also left my UK bank account open with a small amount of money for when we return to visit. Figured it'd be easier than having to convert $   Also, I had a UK pension which can only be paid out to a UK account once it becomes payable - if you have a similar situation it's worth keeping an account open. 

I do my banking online, assumed such an option would be available for you.

I used the website transferwise
 
Sent to my wife's bank
 
Worked well for me

Having lived in Canada and the US, back and forth for many years, I suggest that at least initially, you keep your RBC account in Canada and just use your debit card to withdraw cash in the US as needed until you get situated and open a bank account in California.  Debit card withdrawals typically get a very good exchange rate so that's what I would do at first.  Check with your RBC branch and know the current ATM withdrawal exchange rates and fees, if any, locations of ATMs you can use in the US, and maximum daily withdrawals, so you know before you decide.  Then before you open a bank account in the US, you can visit or call the various banks and ask about wire transfer fees, exchange rates, etc. and pick an account type and bank with the cheapest fees so that later you can wire transfer the remaining money when and if you decide to close your RBC account.  Good luck!

Bank to bank transfer would be easiest 

Well, it partly depends what level of bank account you have. Some people have way too much cash to feel comfortable doing what the post above describes and traveling with mounds of hard cash (then walking around to take it into a bank) to save a couple of basis points. People can and do get lots of money stolen this way. There are currency exchange services like Xoom that many people use that are much cheaper than banks to transfer cash. If you are a at a private client or similar type level at a bank, then they usually do not charge international wire fees. On the other hand if it is say only a few thousand dollars then you may feel ok just taking it in cash. Don’t let it out of your grip though.
Totally up to you whether to leave the old account open. I did because I pay for all my mom’s expenses back ‘home’ and it’s easier that way. If you won’t have anything to use it for in Canada probably no reason to leave it open.
bottom line the right answer depends on your individual circumstances. 
 
 

As a general rule, no they don’t, they will look around for the cheapest way to transfer the funds bank to bank.

Bring the money across in cash. If possible get a good rate and have it converted to US dollars before you leave. This is the easiest way and the best way to avoid any wire transfer fees, and any bad exchange rates you will get during the transfer. Bring as much as you want, Just make sure on the Declaration form you fill out, that any amount over 10,000 US dollars is declared. I have crossed the boarder into the US many times with large sums of cash, and as long as it is declared you will not have a issue. As a safety precaution keep your withdraw slip from your bank account in case they ask where the money came from( you have proof, but doubtful they will ask, as you are entering on a immigrant Visa and obviously not coming back to Canada for a while, so it makes sense you are bringing your money with you). I would keep a little money in your Canadian account in case any final bills or anything comes up after you move that you may need to pay ( It will be much easier if you do it from your Canadian account). Then a few months after moving here you can call ( Some may require a e-mail or fax) and request to close your account and have them send you a check for the remaining balance. By then you will have a US bank account you can deposit it into.

Including Immediate Relatives of USCs.