First time to US after receiving the DV Immigrant Visa

[khalid_ahq 1]

Dear All,

Hope all is well, I have some queries and I hope you can clarify some points for me, I plan to go to US to receive the SSN and GC, also to do the driving license and open a bank account, then will come back to my hometown for 5 months to finalize other issues before my final relocation:

1- Does POE have anything to do with the required time to receive the GC?, for example the mail box in my DS260 application is in Orlando, making Orlando or Miami the first POE will take the same time to receive the GC if I enter US through New York ?

2- I have received the US immigrant visa and I paid the online fees for the GC for me and for my family, just to make sure is there anything remain to do before going to US with our X ray and the envelopes we got at the interview ?

3- I plan to stay for 35 days, is this good for the first time and is the GC usually received within this period after POE !!.

4- I understand that if I book a ticket to Orlando and there was a stop at New York first, I understand the POE will be at New York, so if the layover time between flights is around 2.5 hours this will be fine to make the application and catch the other flight !

Thank you guys

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

There should be no difference in time to receive green card from different POEs. Some people think certain POES take longer to send the paperwork than others but I don't know of any way to track this. 35 days may or may not be enough time to receive the physical GC, it's kind of borderline for recently but generally at the lower end of the usual timeframe.

I would think 2.5 hours is cutting it fine for jfk, it depends on the terminal and time of day and that may be fine but it may not - bear in mind you will be in the non-immigrant queue the first time you land to activate - I have personally spent longer than 2.5 hours just in that queue before, never mind time to process, get baggage, clear customs and transfer. You may strike it lucky but to be on the safe side you should probably allow for more time. Once you have a green card your lines will be much faster!

[khalid_ahq 1]

There should be no difference in time to receive green card from different POEs. Some people think certain POES take longer to send the paperwork than others but I don't know of any way to track this. 35 days may or may not be enough time to receive the physical GC, it's kind of borderline for recently but generally at the lower end of the usual timeframe.

I would think 2.5 hours is cutting it fine for jfk, it depends on the terminal and time of day and that may be fine but it may not - bear in mind you will be in the non-immigrant queue the first time you land to activate - I have personally spent longer than 2.5 hours just in that queue before, never mind time to process, get baggage, clear customs and transfer. You may strike it lucky but to be on the safe side you should probably allow for more time. Once you have a green card your lines will be much faster!

Thank you for this, do you think it is risky to leave before receiving the physical green cards ? Because this is not my final relocation and will come back to finalize some issues for about 5 months.

Edited February 13, 2015 by khalid_ahq

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

Thank you for this, do you think it is risky to leave before receiving the physical green cards ? Because this is not my final relocation and will come back to finalize some issues for about 5 months.

Many people do that, as long as you have someone to trust to receive and keep them for you (or courier them to you) it's fine. When you enter, your immigrant visa gets 'endorsed' with an entry stamp and then turns into a temporary green card valid for a year from date of entry, so you can use that to re-enter with no problem.

[adinutzyc21 2]

I doubt 2.5 hours between flights is enough in JFK, but your airline will put you in the next available flight going to your destination so that shouldn't be a problem.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

I doubt 2.5 hours between flights is enough in JFK, but your airline will put you in the next available flight going to your destination so that shouldn't be a problem.

That's only assuming it's all on one ticket. If the domestic flight is booked separately it may not be that easy, at least not without paying up...

[khalid_ahq 1]

Thank you guys for this ))