CR1 Visa Travel before Green Card received?

[JennW 3]

My husband will be picking up his visa at the embassy on Feb 16 - he will be arriving here on the 25th, our 2 year anniversary is on the 27th, and he needs to fly overseas for business for two weeks the second week in March, so our question is when will we get his green card? Do they start the production process when we pay the fee or is it once he gets to immigration here is the US? (In other words does it make a difference if we pay it right away or the day before he leaves to come here?)

If he doesn't have it yet when he travels will he have a difficult time getting back in or is there a way we can go to an office and pick the card up (like when you get an expedited passport?)

Thanks

[Lainie B 465]

His stamped visa acts as a temporary green card.

[teeak 224]

If you check the visa foil in his passport, it should say something along the lines of "Upon endorsement, serves as a temporary I-551 for one year...". The I-551 is the green card so he can use that visa foil to evidence his permanent residency status upon his return to the US.

Why didn't he book a flight for 2 days later? That way, he'd get a 10-year green card and you wouldn't have to worry about removing conditions.

[Kastrs 723]

If you check the visa foil in his passport, it should say something along the lines of "Upon endorsement, serves as a temporary I-551 for one year...". The I-551 is the green card so he can use that visa foil to evidence his permanent residency status upon his return to the US.

Why didn't he book a flight for 2 days later? That way, he'd get a 10-year green card and you wouldn't have to worry about removing conditions.

^^My thoughts exactly

[JennW 3]

If you check the visa foil in his passport, it should say something along the lines of "Upon endorsement, serves as a temporary I-551 for one year...". The I-551 is the green card so he can use that visa foil to evidence his permanent residency status upon his return to the US.

Why didn't he book a flight for 2 days later? That way, he'd get a 10-year green card and you wouldn't have to worry about removing conditions.

I don't think removing conditions is going to be a difficult thing - we wanted to spend our actual anniversary weekend together.

[teeak 224]

I meant it as in more of a hassle. You have to spend an extra $600, go through assembling the paperwork -- all the bonafide marriage evidence, get fingerprinted, and wait in limbo for an interview. I've seen people here wait for more than a year for a decision from USCIS.

In my mind, the less you have to deal with USCIS, the better.

I see your reasoning in wanting to spend the anniversary together but, just wanted to weigh in with what's to come with ROC.

[NikLR 13,232]

Omg wait two days!!! Otherwise you will spend the next two years collecting evidence of a genuine marriage when you could just live your lives.

[JennW 3]

Thanks for the advice all, we honestly didn't look into it much we probably will wait to avoid the hassle.