Receiving DV lottery green card at hotel address. Is it safe?

[locutorio 0]

I am a DV lottery 2015 winner. I don't have anybody in the US, so at the visa interview I gave an hotel address, of the hotel where I intend to stay in the first few weeks.
I was told at the embassy that as soon as I enter the US, uscis will send the green card to the address given.
I am afraid the card could get lost or stolen at the hotel. Do they send the green card by signed mail?
Would it be better to use a PO Box or something like rentusmailbox.com instead?
Can I leave the US while waiting for the green card and reenter again?

Could I do something like:
1)enter the US for the first time
2)rent a cheap office or a virtual address to receive the green card
3)call the uscis to update the address
4)Leave the US a week or two after entering for the first time, still without the green card
5)Come back to the US 2 months after entering for the first time, and stay permanently. The green card should be in my mailbox by now

Thanks

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

I am a DV lottery 2015 winner. I don't have anybody in the US, so at the visa interview I gave an hotel address, of the hotel where I intend to stay in the first few weeks.

I was told at the embassy that as soon as I enter the US, uscis will send the green card to the address given.

I am afraid the card could get lost or stolen at the hotel. Do they send the green card by signed mail?

Would it be better to use a PO Box or something like rentusmailbox.com instead?

Can I leave the US while waiting for the green card and reenter again?

Could I do something like:

1)enter the US for the first time

2)rent a cheap office or a virtual address to receive the green card

3)call the uscis to update the address

4)Leave the US a week or two after entering for the first time, still without the green card

5)Come back to the US 2 months after entering for the first time, and stay permanently. The green card should be in my mailbox by now

Thanks

PO boxes etc are not acceptable to uscis for delivering green cards to. It must be a street address. If it is sent c/o a hotel, the mailman will probably check you are actually staying there before he leaves it there. Unless you are staying in a very dodgy hotel there is no reason to expect someone would steal it, anyway it is no use to anyone else. However if you have left the hotel before the card arrives, as it sounds is likely, it will be returned to uscis.

You can also change the address at the port of entry - if you give the details to the cbp officer it goes with your file to uscis.

The green card does not get sent "as soon as you arrive" but about a month or two later, and in fact if you want to delay it being sent that is quite easy - just delay paying the $165 immigrant fee. They won't send it till the fee is paid. It actually sounds like in your case, delaying paying till you are back after the 2 months and have a proper address might make sense.

Edited May 16, 2015 by SusieQQQ

[hishamali 0]

Hii,

I'm planning to do same.

but how i can re-enter us without green card.?

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Hii,

I'm planning to do same.

but how i can re-enter us without green card.?

When you get your immigrant visa, it has a notation at the bottom saying something like 'when endorsed acts as an I551 evidencing permanent residence for one year". The I551 is the official name for a green card, and the 'endorsement' is just the entry stamp next to the visa you get - in other words, your visa turns into a temporary green card when it gets stamped for entry.

Just one word of caution, some airline staff are not very aware of this, so if you use this make sure you have the explanation in case they try refuse you boarding and if they do insist speaking to someone higher up...this has happened to a couple of people. There will be absolutely no problem at the US border obviously.

[hishamali 0]

thanks alot for usual help and support

[locutorio 0]

Thank you Susie and hishamali.

I guess I will go with the hotel address for now. Although, the rentusmailbox service say they actually provide a real street address, not a PO Box.

I know I can change the address at the port of entry, but that is still no good. I can only find a home after I enter. Can I change the address after I pass the border?

I am reluctant about not paying the fee before first entry, because the letter in the visa package says "You must submit the $165 U.S. Dollar payment online after receiving your visa package from the Department of State and before you depart for the United States"

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Thank you Susie and hishamali.

I guess I will go with the hotel address for now. Although, the rentusmailbox service say they actually provide a real street address, not a PO Box.

I know I can change the address at the port of entry, but that is still no good. I can only find a home after I enter. Can I change the address after I pass the border?

I am reluctant about not paying the fee before first entry, because the letter in the visa package says "You must submit the $165 U.S. Dollar payment online after receiving your visa package from the Department of State and before you depart for the United States"

Yes I know what it says, but many people pay after entry. All that happens (judging from other threads) is that they start production of the green card as normal, but it won't get mailed until the payment is received. Anyway, up to you, I just thought that would be a pretty nifty way to ensure it only gets mailed when you have an address for it. It also means that when you change the address after you pass the border, there is a much better chance of 'catching' the card before it gets mailed to the previous address - which others have reported happening, because it takes a while for the systems to update.

You should bear in mind that USPS is acutely aware of mail that comes from USCIS and may not deliver to a mailbox rental service even if it is a street address. There are reports (again from other threads) for example of mailmen refusing to deliver the green cards to apartments that do not have the recipient or the "c/o" name on the mailbox. Although the mail is not registered they are clearly quite careful about them.

[hishamali 0]

Hii ,

Can i drop my wife to US and get back to my work before receiving green card and my wife can receive and send to my then later can i travel to us.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Hii ,

Can i drop my wife to US and get back to my work before receiving green card and my wife can receive and send to my then later can i travel to us.

If you are the principal applicant then you know you must travel with her, but yes. Once she has entered her status no longer depends on you so no problem with her staying alone or traveling separately thereafter if necessary.

[hishamali 0]

@SusieQQQ Thanks alot for usual support.. What about receiving green card on behalf of me and then send it to me.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

@SusieQQQ Thanks alot for usual support.. What about receiving green card on behalf of me and then send it to me.

Sure she can, to be safe though send it using a courier and not through normal mail.