Husbands IR visa approved

[frea 0]

We applied for my husband's greencard from Islamabad about 5 months ago, and got a call from the embassy saying it was ready. So when we got his passport back , it was stamped with a 6 month visa. What's next? When we get to the states, I understand that we're gonna have to apply for his Social Security Number, which will take about 2 weeks, and then they'll mail us his greencard. Does anyone have any idea how long that will take? And what the process for deferring the green card is? I know that it can't be deferred for more than 2 years, but any other terms or conditions that we should be aware of?

Help!

[LotofPatience 65]

We applied for my husband's greencard from Islamabad about 5 months ago, and got a call from the embassy saying it was ready. So when we got his passport back , it was stamped with a 6 month visa. What's next? When we get to the states, I understand that we're gonna have to apply for his Social Security Number, which will take about 2 weeks, and then they'll mail us his greencard. Does anyone have any idea how long that will take? And what the process for deferring the green card is? I know that it can't be deferred for more than 2 years, but any other terms or conditions that we should be aware of?

Help!

Congrats :dance:

In 30 to 60 days after POE, you will have SSN and Welcome Letter and GC.

If GC is CR1, in around 2 years after POE, you need to remove the condition by filing I-751.

Loto

[Darnell 8,479]

pardon - what does 'defer a green card' mean?

[canadian_wife 1,829]

No deferring his greencard, not even sure what that means, if you clarify what you're looking to do, maybe we can help you

Good luck

PS - no matter what he put on the DS-230, about 2 weeks after he arrives, go down to the SSA and get him an SSN

[Darnell 8,479]

other thoughts -

SINCE IT IS AN IR-1 visa -

there is no concept of 'conditional greencard status' or a '2 year greencard' -

he'll be issued a 10 year card, within 45 days of arrival in USA, magically showing up in the postal mail.

I wish I could be certain it's an IR-1 visa, though - could you , please (purty please with mutton on top?) fill out yer timeline over at http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=92389 ??????? Thanks in advance !

[LotofPatience 65]

One for thought - if he is under 26 years old at the time of POE, registering with the 'Selective Services' (No draft implementation so far!)

I feel deferring meant deferring the POE, but before the 6 months Consulate issued visa expiry, so that he will cross 26 years of age!

Loto

[frea 0]

Yea its an IR-1 visa. By deferring the green card, I meant that we don't want to move to the states right away (i think its called something like conditional permanent residence.. i dunno). We will definitely go before the visa expires, but are planning on coming back for maybe a year or two (2 years is the maximum that we can stay out of the states). So I wanted to know whether there was a certain time that the green card usually comes in, cuz we'll have to be coming back and will plan our trip accordingly.

Darnell - I'm so sorry.. I am so bad with dates, I don't really remember the exact dates that everything was sent and received.

I do know that we applied in the beginning of March and after about a month, we got a package with the DS-230 and the I-864, and we had to submit all our orignial documents, along with police certificates, finances and everything. Approximately a month after that, we got a letter saying that we were being called in for the interview. They didn't ask me anything in the interview, but the consular officer told my husband that the best bet would be to apply with a joint sponsor who files their taxes in the US, and that we would have to send in more documents. We sent those in, and weeks later, the visa was ready. So everything happened fairly quick. We weren't expecting everything to happen so fast but thank God! the process is over!

Oh and my husband is over 26, so we won't have to be applying for the Selective Services.

I also have another question, once we get to the US, does the green card get sent to us after we've applied for the SSN? Or is it independent of that?

Thanks!

[LotofPatience 65]

Yea its an IR-1 visa. By deferring the green card, I meant that we don't want to move to the states right away (i think its called something like conditional permanent residence.. i dunno). We will definitely go before the visa expires, but are planning on coming back for maybe a year or two (2 years is the maximum that we can stay out of the states). So I wanted to know whether there was a certain time that the green card usually comes in, cuz we'll have to be coming back and will plan our trip accordingly.

Darnell - I'm so sorry.. I am so bad with dates, I don't really remember the exact dates that everything was sent and received.

I do know that we applied in the beginning of March and after about a month, we got a package with the DS-230 and the I-864, and we had to submit all our orignial documents, along with police certificates, finances and everything. Approximately a month after that, we got a letter saying that we were being called in for the interview. They didn't ask me anything in the interview, but the consular officer told my husband that the best bet would be to apply with a joint sponsor who files their taxes in the US, and that we would have to send in more documents. We sent those in, and weeks later, the visa was ready. So everything happened fairly quick. We weren't expecting everything to happen so fast but thank God! the process is over!

Oh and my husband is over 26, so we won't have to be applying for the Selective Services.

I also have another question, once we get to the US, does the green card get sent to us after we've applied for the SSN? Or is it independent of that?

Thanks!

Since you say it is IR1, there is NO conditional concept and condition removal. It is 10 years GC.

You may be confused with Re-entry permit. After your husband reaches the U.S, if he wants to be outside the U.S for more than 1 year, yes re-entry permit is needed. But it is max. for 2 years. After 2 years, GC will be out of status and permanent status will be lost. If your husband wants to be less than 1 year outside the U.S, re-entry permit is not needed.

After your husband's POE, within 30 to 60 days, he will have GC and SSN. Both are independent mailings. If for some reason, SSN doesn't come by mail, apply it at local SSA office.

Loto

[Darnell 8,479]

ya, green card printing and mailing

is triggered solely

by the Visa Holder checking in at the Port of Entry, Customs and Border Patrol, with an Immigration Officer/Clerk/Human.

The VISA stamp is scanned in, triggers lots of stuff behind the scenes, then magically , within 45 days, it hits the address via postal mail.

If you have 'address issues' - make sure to give the updateed/current postal mail address (for USA residence) during the POE. Don't forget to do this, POE experience is really quick, so must 'get it done', ONCE, as you only have ONE shot at changing the address.

If you don't change the address at POE, then the card is mailed to the 'last address' on the casefile.

By deferring the green card, I meant that we don't want to move to the states right away - uhm - look at the VISA STAMP - there's a range of dates there, printed. The last date there? That's the last date he can enter the USA. USUALLY, this is 6 months from visa printing date. Check the visa, study the dates in it, plan accordingly.

Good Luck !

Edited September 26, 2010 by Darnell

[frea 0]

Yea I must have been confused with the re-entry permit. Thanks for clearing that out!

If we apply for that, we should easily be able to get it though, right?

There are no address issues. The 6 month visa expires in the beginning of next year so we'll be going before that. It's after we get back from that trip, that I was wandering what would happen with the green card. But things are much clearer.

Another question, (yes, I'm full of them ), if my husband was to apply to colleges over there on his IR-1 visa, would be be considered an international student, or would he be like any other citizen applying? Also, now that he's gotten the IR-1, if we were to go England, would he need a separate visa for that, cuz as a citizen, there's no need for applying for the visa. But i was wondering whether the IR-1 would affect any of that.

You guys have been a great help! Thanks a lot!

[Darnell 8,479]

re: studying in the USA -

even with the IR-1 visa -

MOST 4 year universities will view him as 'not a resident for in-state tuition purposes' as he has NO TIME FOR RESIDENCY in that US State, for that first year of classes.

They may view him, for tuition purposes only, as either 'out of state tuition' or 'international student tuition' - it's hard to gauge, as each university is different on their approach.

With green card and SSN in hand, he is eligible for Stafford Loans - see http://www.fafsa.gov

2 year colleges and technical schools may view him as a 'local' for tuition purposes, this varies widely, also.

re: England- if the university already accepted him, then getting a student visa is straightforward - I would never suggest anyone to simply 'show up and try' - get accepted first.

you mention 'as a citizen' - pardon - citizen of 'what country' ? Yer husband's citizenship is 'what', exactly? If he's not a UK Citizen, then he'll need a visa to attend university. UK immigration doesn't give a toss about US Immigration status, at all.

Edited September 26, 2010 by Darnell

[LotofPatience 65]

Yea I must have been confused with the re-entry permit. Thanks for clearing that out!

If we apply for that, we should easily be able to get it though, right?

There are no address issues. The 6 month visa expires in the beginning of next year so we'll be going before that. It's after we get back from that trip, that I was wandering what would happen with the green card. But things are much clearer.

Another question, (yes, I'm full of them ), if my husband was to apply to colleges over there on his IR-1 visa, would be be considered an international student, or would he be like any other citizen applying? Also, now that he's gotten the IR-1, if we were to go England, would he need a separate visa for that, cuz as a citizen, there's no need for applying for the visa. But i was wondering whether the IR-1 would affect any of that.

You guys have been a great help! Thanks a lot!

Reg: University - To get the reduction in the fee (international student will pay double the tuition in most cases!) as a local, he must be the resident of the state of the university for an year.

Reg: Visit to U.K - He needs U.K visa. Green Card holder does not need visa to visit Canada and Switzerland only. Mexico was also there in the list, but I don't know now.

Loto