Green Card

[GabVal 1]

Hello! I'm flying to the USA on September the 3rd, everything is fine I just have two questions:

1- My POE will be New York JFK. Any suggestions or advices related to the entry at that airport?

2- Considering the date I arrive to the States (Sept 03), when is it good to pay for my green card at the USCIS web site? In other words, how long does it take to have my green card home in the US, from the moment I pay for it?

I ask this because I'd like to have it almost the same time I arrive.

Thank you in advance!!!

[raven52 233]

You have pretty much provided ""zero"" information!

Where are you coming from? Would be nice if you would fill in your timeline!

What is the visa? K-1.,.,.,.CR-1??

We will be glad to help you when you provide some adequate information.

What sort of visa do you enter on, that you expect an immediate GC?

Will help when you give us some information to work with.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

You have pretty much provided ""zero"" information!

Where are you coming from? Would be nice if you would fill in your timeline!

What is the visa? K-1.,.,.,.CR-1??

We will be glad to help you when you provide some adequate information.

What sort of visa do you enter on, that you expect an immediate GC?

Will help when you give us some information to work with.

The post is in the DV forum so it's a pretty good guess that it's a diversity visa....

Most of the timeline fields make no sense for DV selectees which is why hardly anyone in this forum has filled one in. Heck, we even have to be "other" in the profile data at left...

Edited June 21, 2015 by SusieQQQ

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Hello! I'm flying to the USA on September the 3rd, everything is fine I just have two questions:

1- My POE will be New York JFK. Any suggestions or advices related to the entry at that airport?

2- Considering the date I arrive to the States (Sept 03), when is it good to pay for my green card at the USCIS web site? In other words, how long does it take to have my green card home in the US, from the moment I pay for it?

I ask this because I'd like to have it almost the same time I arrive.

Thank you in advance!!!

It doesn't really matter when you pay the immigrant fee before you land, as you need to enter the U.S. to trigger production. Whether you pay now or the day before you leave makes no difference. The only difference is if you pay after you land, which can delay issuance. If you've paid before you land it will probably take around a month. Also remember your stamped immigrant visa becomes a temporary green card for a year after you enter.

Re your first question, if you look at the links above there are POE reviews, look for JFK. There won't be much difference between DV and other immigrant visas from a POE perspective.

Edited June 21, 2015 by SusieQQQ

[Moustafa/Crystal 65]

I do not know anything about DV, but I do know if you want to work a social security number is the most important thing to have. If you have that you are good to go. I have heard the green card can take up to three months to arrive. We are five weeks in and still no green card....and we had to go to the Social Security office to get the number even though we asked to have a number sent to us when we filled out the 260.

Good luck!

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

I do not know anything about DV, but I do know if you want to work a social security number is the most important thing to have. If you have that you are good to go. I have heard the green card can take up to three months to arrive. We are five weeks in and still no green card....and we had to go to the Social Security office to get the number even though we asked to have a number sent to us when we filled out the 260.

Good luck!

Is your ELIS status bubble on "optimized" yet?

We got our SSNs about a week and a half after landing but yes it seems not uncommon for people to have to go into a SSA office to register.

[Sukie 1,460]

JFK is one of the biggest immigration POEs, so they are used to folks showing up with their big envelopes!

It's also a large airport, so the terminal at which you land means a slightly different "look" to the immigration desks. The time of day you arrive can make a huge difference on how much time it takes to get through. We arrived early in the morning, and were through in less than 20 minutes.

When you approach the immigration lines, there will be a uniformed guard/officer-of-some-sort helping people get into the correct lines. Go immediately up to him/her and say "I'm a new immigrant" and hold up your packet. Sometimes there is a special line for new immigrants (depending on terminal and time of day) and sometimes not.

I entered with my spouse (I'm the USC) and we both went into the USC line. Since you are a DV entrant, ask the guard/officer which line to get in.

You will be taken from the immigration booth to another room where your packet will be opened, and data will be entered into the US system. Again - getting through this step depends on how many flights have dumped out at the same time.

But at least the officers know what to do!

Best of luck, and have a great flight. Welcome to the US!

Sukie in NY

Edited June 21, 2015 by Sukie

[GabVal 1]

It doesn't really matter when you pay the immigrant fee before you land, as you need to enter the U.S. to trigger production. Whether you pay now or the day before you leave makes no difference. The only difference is if you pay after you land, which can delay issuance. If you've paid before you land it will probably take around a month. Also remember your stamped immigrant visa becomes a temporary green card for a year after you enter.

Re your first question, if you look at the links above there are POE reviews, look for JFK. There won't be much difference between DV and other immigrant visas from a POE perspective.

My stamped immigrant Visa becomes a temporary GC for a year, i didn't know that! What about the GC they send, does it have an expiration date too?

Thanks AGAIN Susie for your help

[GabVal 1]

JFK is one of the biggest immigration POEs, so they are used to folks showing up with their big envelopes!

It's also a large airport, so the terminal at which you land means a slightly different "look" to the immigration desks. The time of day you arrive can make a huge difference on how much time it takes to get through. We arrived early in the morning, and were through in less than 20 minutes.

When you approach the immigration lines, there will be a uniformed guard/officer-of-some-sort helping people get into the correct lines. Go immediately up to him/her and say "I'm a new immigrant" and hold up your packet. Sometimes there is a special line for new immigrants (depending on terminal and time of day) and sometimes not.

I entered with my spouse (I'm the USC) and we both went into the USC line. Since you are a DV entrant, ask the guard/officer which line to get in.

You will be taken from the immigration booth to another room where your packet will be opened, and data will be entered into the US system. Again - getting through this step depends on how many flights have dumped out at the same time.

But at least the officers know what to do!

Best of luck, and have a great flight. Welcome to the US!

Sukie in NY

I'll arrive at JFK at 8:45 and havr another flight to Pittsburgh PA at 12:45, but this flight is in LaGuardia airport. Do you think it is enough time?

How much time does it take from JFK to LaGuardia?

Thanks for you answer!!!

[milimelo 4,481]

Oh you need a lot more time to get through processing AND to get to the other airport - they're not that close by.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

My stamped immigrant Visa becomes a temporary GC for a year, i didn't know that! What about the GC they send, does it have an expiration date too?

Thanks AGAIN Susie for your help

Yes, 10 years, but hopefully you will be a citizen long before then and that expiry won't matter

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

I'll arrive at JFK at 8:45 and havr another flight to Pittsburgh PA at 12:45, but this flight is in LaGuardia airport. Do you think it is enough time?

How much time does it take from JFK to LaGuardia?

Thanks for you answer!!!

Hmmmm there are shuttle buses from JFK to La Guardia, 45-60 minutes to transfer https://www.panynj.gov/airports/lga-airport-connections.html - it will also depend what terminal you are at

You will need to clear immigration, get your baggage, transfer on the shuttle and arrive at La Guardia what an hour before you depart?

Assuming the plane lands on time, unless you are first class you are realistically not going to get into the terminal before probably 9.05-9.15am at the earliest. Then it depends on the queue which depends on terminal, if they have a dedicated line for new immigrants or not at that terminal, etc. Longest I have spent in a queue at JFK immigration was 2.5 hours, which would knock you out the water immediately if that happens to you, but say ..more normal you will probably get through (wild guess) by 10h30. Unless there are a pile of people in secondary. Collect your baggage. Find the shuttle. Wait for it to arrive unless you are really lucky with timing. Hour to get to LGA. So, you could make it in time, but it requires a few "ifs" along the way and could be quite stressful. If it's possible to change that connecting flight to a later time or to one that leaves out of JFK, I would do that. Rather spend an hour wasting time in an airport Starbucks than deal with a missed flight.

[Moustafa/Crystal 65]

Is your ELIS status bubble on "optimized" yet?

We got our SSNs about a week and a half after landing but yes it seems not uncommon for people to have to go into a SSA office to register.

Yep...we are optimized. Really, we have had very good luck so far....but the whole immigration process is a ####### shoot. My guess is that things go as planned about 70% of the time. Our 261 got "stuck" at the NVC, and we had to physically go to the Social Security Office to file for the card....on the bright side, our case complete was very fast and we got our interview in under 30 days. Everything else really did fall in line with what the USCIS would call an acceptable timeline.

Really, there are so many people involved in the process, I am amazed it happens as fast as it does. If you get even one person having a bad day (and we all have bad days) working on your case, who knows what could happen. On the other had, if you get someone who is having a good day, things certainly could go your way.

To use a cliche from a recent movie....when going through the immigration process, "May the odds ever be in your favor."

[GabVal 1]

Hmmmm there are shuttle buses from JFK to La Guardia, 45-60 minutes to transfer https://www.panynj.gov/airports/lga-airport-connections.html - it will also depend what terminal you are at

You will need to clear immigration, get your baggage, transfer on the shuttle and arrive at La Guardia what an hour before you depart?

Assuming the plane lands on time, unless you are first class you are realistically not going to get into the terminal before probably 9.05-9.15am at the earliest. Then it depends on the queue which depends on terminal, if they have a dedicated line for new immigrants or not at that terminal, etc. Longest I have spent in a queue at JFK immigration was 2.5 hours, which would knock you out the water immediately if that happens to you, but say ..more normal you will probably get through (wild guess) by 10h30. Unless there are a pile of people in secondary. Collect your baggage. Find the shuttle. Wait for it to arrive unless you are really lucky with timing. Hour to get to LGA. So, you could make it in time, but it requires a few "ifs" along the way and could be quite stressful. If it's possible to change that connecting flight to a later time or to one that leaves out of JFK, I would do that. Rather spend an hour wasting time in an airport Starbucks than deal with a missed flight.

Thanks! I'll try to change it to a later time then, just to make sure.

I'll let you know when the day arrives.

[raven52 233]

if your experience entering the USA the first time was like my wife's in Atlanta, then I see no way for you to make that Pittsburg flight.

There was two people at the P.O.E. in Atlanta, and we were more than 1 and 1/2 hours (my wife and one other woman).

We almost missed our flight to Columbia, SC, and we had an almost 2 and 1/2 hour layover!

It was a one time experience, but it would seem these POE people have no urgency, or any courtesy! Really I have posted this many times, they were down right rude!