Pat2021

You need to update when you physically move into the new home!

I'd go with physically relocate. Update it once you move to the new place.

It means physical occupation of your new residence.  USCIS needs to keep track of the immigrant's location.
 
Congratulations on buying your property!

Hi, sorry for resurrecting this "old" thread, but seems there was no response and I'm currently in the same boat.
Is there an online access code for the immigrant Visa fee?
All I received was the payment confirmation email, just like OP, with a receipt number. This receipt number is different than the receipt number for my I-130.
 
EDIT: Never mind, right after posting this I found the solution, hopefully it'll help someone.
On the USCIS instead of clicking "Add a Case", press "Verify Identity", enter your A-Number and do a small quiz about your immigration history and it shows up.
Weirdly it shows the name as FirstName "NMN" "LastName" though, I hope this doesn't cause any issues?

My timeline:
 
21 November 2022 - Paid IV fees 11 January 2023 - Entered via LAX 2 February 2023 - Card is being produced 6 February 2023 - Card is being mailed / USPS picked it up 9 February 2023 - Received Card in the mail Seems they're speeding up green card production 🙂

One "trick" I learned when writing CV for job applications in US - you do have to customize when you respond to a job ad. Try to use the keywords in the ad in your CV for that particular job. This helps a lot to get through the ATS (Automated Screening) software, and helps to land your resume to the HR recruiter.

Do you post often on LinkedIn about trends in your industry? I did recently (after several months of being inactive on LinkedIn) and two days later a recruiter messaged me about an interesting position with good compensation. Most of my work experience is from overseas and I have a degree from a university in a developing country (a good school, but not Ivy League equivalent).
 
Alternatively, you could ask your UK network if they know of anyone hiring in the US. Your contacts working in multinational corporations could be good leads. 

Unsurprising.  Leave this in your pocket as something that might yield an unexpected boon, but don't count on it.
1.  Apply with temp agencies and recruiters.
2.  Network like a wild person.
3.  Join, interact, and be alert toward getting your foot in the door anywhere.
 
We all really feel for you; along with this, as you can tell, we're certain that you'll "engineer" your success.  

Agree with all the suggestions already made about being very explicit that you are authorized to work.
 
It took me around 6 weeks to find a job and I had to drop a few levels.  Which was humiliating because I have three degrees and taking on that job required me to almost regress 10 years.  Having said that, within six months, I got my first promotion and within a couple of years I was back to the levels I was back in Australia.  And now I earn twice as much as I did in Australia.
 
It takes patience and tenacity.  But you will get there.  I know it doesn't always feel like that, and I know it can get you down.  But it's a test and - once you pass it - you'll come out of it stronger, I promise.

Post your resume on indeed.com and Linkein .com
 
You will see an increase in referrals. 

It took my husband 7 months to find a job and it was loading trucks at Walmart. He is a computer engineer and no one wanted to hire him because he had no U.S job experience. It took him over a year to find a job in his field and at that, he had to take a job as an unpaid intern just to get his foot in the door, even though he had years of engineering experience in his home country. And yes, he had it listed on his resume that he was authorized to work here. Eleven years later and he's VP of his division (software) at a robotics company. 

Try joining the local Chamber of Commerce/  u will meet important business people in the area u live in and make the connections as said in one response
"its who you know"
 
I joined here in 2 cities near me just to meet people
 
Every community has a Chamber of Commerce, or at least they should. The goal of any Chamber is to help to further the interests of small businesses in a local area. The activities can range from hosting events, to lobbying local representatives to charitable works for the betterment of the community

I agree that you need to make it very clear (on your resume and in your cover letter) that you are authorized to work in the US. Especially in California, employers will likely receive lots of applications from people who are hoping to be sponsored for a visa.
 
Also, consider applying for jobs that you are overqualified for. It would help to get some work experience in the US. The great thing about jobs in the US compared to my experience in Europe, is that it is easy to climb up to better paid positions when you show that you are good at your job. I started 5 years ago at an entry-level position, and in the past few years I have received a promotion and several raises; I now make almost double that initial salary.
 
Good luck!

Also, some people have negative reactions to this, but I would put this somewhere on your resume:
 
”Authorized to work in the U.S.”
 
or even:
 
”Lawful Permanent Resident of the U.S.”

Master of Engineering degrees have been around decades if not centuries in this country:
 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Engineering
 
https://eecs.berkeley.edu/academics/graduate/industry-programs/meng
 
I’d be hard pressed to find a state university that doesn’t offer a master of engineering degree. 
 
Applying for jobs online is rarely effective. You need to have someone inside present your resume to a hiring manager. 
 
Are there people on your UK LinkedIn network who work for companies that have engineering operations in both countries? Contact them and ask them to make a referral for a job posted externally and then ask them to send a your resume directly to the hiring manager. When I did this on behalf of former coworkers, this generated a phone screen call over 50 percent of time. Literally orders of magnitude more effective than applying for 100s of jobs online each day. 
 
 

Another idea is to search for American engineering societies, such as
asce.org
aiche.org
and others.
 
They will have discussion forums.  Read and perhaps join them.
Their officers will be prominent academicians and industrialists.  Reach out to them.
The sites may have archived articles that apply to your situation.  Read them.
 
I honestly think that you're swimming upstream by trying to do everything solo.  Reach out.  Make folks aware of you.

When I came to the US, I pretty much had to start my career from scratch again. Not ideal, but I found that the harsh reality is that a career in a different country doesn't seem to count and you'll have to prove yourself all over again in the US.

You're looking for BIG companies? Good luck. They bleed you to death. I will not entertain any calls from FB, Apple, Tesla. As soon as I hear one of them, I tell them flat NO..
 
Some people,  however, get tickled by big companies and only want to work for such. Having worked a few years of my career, I only do small or medium companies. Better pay, flexible hours and I do whatever I want, as long as you get the job done. 

have u thought about going back to college
California has some great offers for honing in your skills 
 
Who qualifies for free college tuition in California?   California residents or nonresidents under the California Dream Act may be eligible for the California College Promise Grant if they: Demonstrate financial need. Complete a FAFSA or California Dream Act application. Maintain at least a 2.0 GPA.   And this:   Do California residents get free college tuition my add from resources online  (i believe this one requires 366 days residency the state)   Free college isn't a new idea in California: The state's Promise program gives full-time students at some colleges scholarships to cover tuition, and students with a low-enough income can also apply to have their fees waived.Sep 8, 2022

Nope.  There's a chance that they're intimidated, or too lazy to want to contact overseas references.
Human Resources departments here in the Colonies can contain the dregs of the company, and hiring managers may not understand what an MEng is.  Confront this through a strong cover-letter that explains what you've told us here.
Gaps aren't as big a killer as in past years, and you can also explain them in the cover-letter.
Turn this into a benefit by listing your capabilities in a 2-column bulleted list, in your resumé, cover-letter, or both.
Yes, and good.
Actually, the numbers game might be your biggest obstacle.  Are you relying on job ads in LinkedIn and similar portals?  Listings can attract many dozens of applicants within just a few hours of posting.  You have to be lucky in timing.
 
In job-hunting, as in life, sometimes it's not so much what you know, but who you know.
 
Suggestion #1:  Identify some area companies where you'd like to work.  Learn who the appropriate department head is.  Call (don't e-mail) and ask for a 20-minute in-person appointment (call it an informational interview) to gain his/her advice on your best opportunity and how you should proceed.  Even if no opening currently exists, the manager will now know you.  Repeat this process.  You might even volunteer to work in a unit for free for a week or two.
 
Suggestion #2:  Try this idea, previously posted by the member Darnell:
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Each city has a chamber of commerce. Find it.

Once you find it - talk with the secretary - tell her you want a schedule of events and let her know you'd like to attend.

Then - go in person to the Chamber of Commerce Office - talk with the President of the Chamber, tell him/her you want to volunteer at several of their events.

Attendees at chamber events are business owners and sales geeks, all looking for new business.  It usually is an informal-enough gathering where you can approach people and talk with them.

Now, the cool thing about being a volunteer there - is that you will be talking to everyone at least once - you might be at the reception table, you might be at the greeters table, you might help to run the audio/video system - whatever - but - the point is that you can meet everyone there, face to face.

Attend 2 or 3 of these, and folk remember you. When folk remember you, they will remember you are seeking employment and will consider you, because you're just not some name on a piece of paper - they met you at a chamber event and know that you were volunteering, helping out the chamber.

Go Get Em, and Good Luck!

PS - live in a really small town? go to the biggest town that's within 15 miles of your house.
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In short, networking is probably your best bet right now.  Let us know how you choose to proceed.  Rooting for you here.
 

Did it really  ask if your were an LPR? What was the specific term it used?
 
 I filed joint taxes for tax year 2019, and don’t recall   TurboTax.com asking me if my wife was an LPR. 
 
Perhaps you were asked if you were a “resident alien”. That’s now a different thing from an LPR.  To the IRS and USCIS “resident alien” mean different things. 

She might have several other arguments that she was not a California resident too.  The wise move for most is to cut ties to California State if moving overseas.  Lots of people get a virtual mailbox in a tax free state to maintain a US address and presence for banking, voting, drivers license etc. that is NOT in California . 

Others have mentioned Geico. I found them really easy to deal with after moving from the UK to Tennessee in late 2021.
I rented a car for three weeks, got my Tennessee license, then bought a used car. Despite being a new immigrant with no US credit history, I immediately got car insurance with Geico without any issues - and they have reduced my payments every six months since then. Although I did have the advantage of having opened a US bank account a few weeks earlier and having an existing Social Security number through an H1B visa from many years ago.

I was serious.
California Exit Tax & Wealth Tax: What Is it & How it Applies to You (sambrotman.com)
 
The California exit tax is a one-time tax that must be paid by businesses and individuals who relocate outside of California. The tax is based on the value of the business or individual's assets, including property, stocks, and other investments.

OK, I get it.  Yea, the safe harbor rule would apply.  She shouldn't file a CA return.