Greencard Approved - How long can you defer move to USA.

[canadianwife 0]

My GC isn't approved yet, but I have a general question:

Once you pass your interview (mine will be in Montreal Canada) and the US government grants you permanent resident status, how long are you able to stay in Canada before moving to the US?

My husband may be deployed to Afghanistan during my immigration process, so I'd like to remain in Canada as long as possible before heading to the USA (since I will be alone there, assuming he is deployed).

Anyone know?

[Shimool 1]

I believe that your immigration visa is valid for 6 months.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

you have 6 months to activate your visa.

congrats on the approval girl!!!

[ao_cons 1]

I believe the IR-1/CR-1 visa is valid for 6 months. When you pass the interview, what you get is the visa. You get the green card only after you get in the US.

Once you're in the US, you get either a 10-year green card (if you got IR-1) or a 2 year conditional green card (if you got CR-1). Green card holders need to spend a definite amount of time in the US each year to keep it.

The only way you could stay outside the US and keep counting toward the green card stay is if you and your husband were sent off to a base together (i.e. you were living in a military base with him). But this is not the case obviously.

Please someone correct me if this is wrong. I'm going by what I know from a family friend who had a green card (later he gave it up when he returned to his home country).

I wish you all the best. And to your husband I pray for his safe return home should he get deployed.

[canadianwife 0]

6 months eh?

Thanks everyone for the help. I hope he doesn't get deployed, but if it does I plan to stay in Canada as long as possible.