Port interview questions

[thelonwaitinggame 3]

Hi,

This is my first post on here but have found a lot of useful info on here which I've been grateful for. I've some questions that i'm wondering could some people help me with.

I've completed my interview and the visa is being issued but I'm not going to be able to move for various reasons right away and I was hoping to go visit my wife and arrange some stuff before I make the final move. Does anyone know if you can travel into the US while you are approved but not travel on your Visa as it would be only a short stay trip?

If anyone has experienced this before would be very grateful for the help. I don't want to lose my airfare if I get denied entry.

[Ms Hogan 295]

Ireland is part of the visa waiver program, yes? That means you SHOULD be able to visit without 'activating' your visa at that time. However, you will quickly run out of time on it based on its expiry and your medical. You might consider going ahead and 'activating' it and then going back to visit Ireland to finish off whatever you are doing? I don't know what your timing is. If you can be more specific more people will be able to help. If it were a fiance visa I can understand wanting to wait because you have to marry within 90 days. But with a spouse visa all you are doing is getting things going on production of you green card and your SSN so you'll be further along the process. Your passport will be stamped and that is what you can use to come "home" to America the next time you travel back.

I got my visa issued in March of 2013 and was also not able to move right away. What I did was go ahead and activate it so I was finished with my POE but then didn't make my final move until June. I visited several times in between and explained that I was still tying up loose ends in Canada.

So to answer your question, you MAY be able to travel without the officer activating it but it will be up to that officer. When does your visa expire? If they insist that you do it then just do it but if you do, I don't see the harm in it. The other consideration is that you need to be physically present in America so you don't appear to be abandoning your green card. I was told at my POE to make sure it wasn't longer than 6 months before I actually moved. So it all comes back to that timing again.

[thelonwaitinggame 3]

It was approved this week, I'm already married so it isn't a fiance visa. I was hoping to go and visit my wife in 2 weeks time but wanted to go and not start the green card process. My visa expires in June. I want to be here as I need to try and get a transfer with work to the US and sell part of my life here too. I also need to go in May for a family event for which I was thinking of travelling over then and starting the process but come home a week or two later to move over in June full time. Last time I entered the US I got a lot of questions and the officer told me that he was not too happy about letting me in but let me know after some grovelling and proving I was returning.

[Ms Hogan 295]

It was approved this week, I'm already married so it isn't a fiance visa. I was hoping to go and visit my wife in 2 weeks time but wanted to go and not start the green card process. My visa expires in June. I want to be here as I need to try and get a transfer with work to the US and sell part of my life here too. I also need to go in May for a family event for which I was thinking of travelling over then and starting the process but come home a week or two later to move over in June full time. Last time I entered the US I got a lot of questions and the officer told me that he was not too happy about letting me in but let me know after some grovelling and proving I was returning.

OK but now your status is different. You are now immigrating. Last time he was worried about you trying to immigrate when you had yet to be approved. Now you ARE approved and ARE immigrating legally. Keep in mind that once you have your green card (or your passport stamped in the meantime) they you aren't going to get hassled coming in. You're a legal resident at that point. That makes it all easier, not harder. If you're coming back and forth a couple times it seems to me like it would be worthwhile to do your POE and have it over with. Then you have your stamp in your passport and you can explain you're just back and forth for a few weeks while you finish everything up. That's my two cents.

[thelonwaitinggame 3]

Thank you very much for your detailed and prompt reply. I really appreciate it.