What happens once my husband gets his visa?

[Jeisson&Ellie 2]

Hello everyone! I was just wondering what happens once my husband gets his visa? Like once he gets to the U.S. does he already have a green card and a social security card? So that as soon as he gets to the U.S. he can start looking for a job and get a license??

Thanks!

[NikLR 13,232]

wait a few weeks for the SSN. If he doesn't get it automatically you can go to the local SSA office and apply for it. After that he can look for work and start the process to get a driver's license.. The stamp in his passport serves as a temporary green card until he receives his green card in the mail.

Edited April 13, 2013 by NikiR

[Ryan H 3,853]

When he arrives in the US, his visa will be "endorsed" which will allow it to act as a temporary green card (the endorsement is a standard CBP entry stamp placed on the page next to the visa with relevant information written in by the CBP officer). The actual green card will come in the mail a few weeks after arrival, the social security card should also come in the mail a few weeks after arrival as well. If the social security card fails to come, he can go to a local social security office and apply.

Employment is instantly authorized.

[Ryan H 3,853]

  On 4/13/2013 at 3:46 PM, NikiR said:

The stamp in his passport serves as a temporary visa until he receives his green card in the mail.

The above statment is not stated correctly on two points:

• A stamp by itself means nothing, a standard entry stamp placed on the page next to the visa itself will allow the visa to act as temporary green card.
  
• He wouldn't have a temporary visa, he would have a temporary green card.
  

Edited April 13, 2013 by Ryan H

[NikLR 13,232]

  On 4/13/2013 at 3:50 PM, Ryan H said:

The above statment is not stated correctly on two points:

• A stamp by itself means nothing, a standard entry stamp placed on the page next to the visa itself will allow the visa to act as temporary green card.
• He wouldn't have a temporary visa, he would have a temporary green card.

yep thats why i corrected it.

[Jeisson&Ellie 2]

  On 4/13/2013 at 3:48 PM, Ryan H said:

When he arrives in the US, his visa will be "endorsed" which will allow it to act as a temporary green card (the endorsement is a standard CBP entry stamp placed on the page next to the visa with relevant information written in by the CBP officer). The actual green card will come in the mail a few weeks after arrival, the social security card should also come in the mail a few weeks after arrival as well. If the social security card fails to come, he can go to a local social security office and apply.

Employment is instantly authorized.

How can I make sure that his social security card is processing? And his green card? Because if he gets to the States and we wait like a month or more for his SSC and it isn't processing then we would have to go to the social security office and apply for one but we would have to wait like another 4 weeks and I much rather find out once he gets to the States if its processing at all so that we'd go apply for it instead of waiting to see "IF" its coming.

[NikLR 13,232]

I don't think the processing can start until after he enters the USA as an immigrant. Before then he is just a potential immigrant and doesn't have a green card and is not a permanent resident. Because it normally only takes a few weeks to get an SSN after you go to an office and apply in person, it should only take a few weeks for it to arrive as well (or at least for him to be in the system.) A green card can take up to a few months to receive but because of the temporary green card in his passport, he will not have trouble travelling. You will also have to pay the new immigrant visa fee of $165 which activates the green card production after the spouse enters the USA. Pay it right after he receives his visa and package so he won't be delayed in receiving the green card.

This is how I understand that it works. I'm sure someone else will chime in if I'm wrong and at least we'll both learn.

[mopan 1]

another fee. mother f******, ha sorry but i thought the fees were over now.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=ad70f58f7529b310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

do you know if they just email you the bill sam way how NVC does?

Edited April 13, 2013 by mopan