CBP Process Question and Green Card

[danielrestored 0]

Howdy,

 

I just have a few questions. I'm not sure if this is the right forum. These are based on the CBP process and general green card questions.

 

Quick background:

-Mexican spouse obtained IR1 Temporary Visa from Ciudad Juarez via DHL.

-Temporary Visa expires on November 4th. It serves as a temporary I-551 for 1 year,

-No specific Port of Entry

-Traveling from Mexico City (MEX) to Los Angeles (LAX). We will live in the city.

-Received immigration documents from Juarez that says to present to the officer.

-$220 Immigrant Fee paid late August.

 

Here are my questions:

1. What is the current CBP process? Current posts and blogs online, as well as CBP customer support, say that she'll be stamped for 1 year upon entry. We'll also have to hand over sealed immigration documents (our infant daughter opened it by mistake). Will this visa be in addition to the one that Ciudad Juarez already gave her?

2. Upon entering into the United States, if she travels back to Mexico in case of an emergency (sick mother requiring surgery) before obtaining the green card, will she be able to re-enter the United States after November 4th without the green card?

3. What is the process in obtaining the green card? USCIS says we have to wait 120 days either after payment or after she arrives in the United States.

4. Will she be called by USCIS? Will she have to sign anything? Or will the green card automatically arrive.

 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edited September 17, 2017 by danielrestored

[JFH 12,190]

7 minutes ago, danielrestored said:

Howdy,

 

I just have a few questions. I'm not sure if this is the right forum. These are based on the CBP process and general green card questions.

 

Quick background:

-Mexican spouse obtained IR1 Temporary Visa from Ciudad Juarez via DHL.

-Temporary Visa expires on November 4th. It serves as a temporary I-551 for 1 year,

-No specific Port of Entry

-Traveling from Mexico City (MEX) to Los Angeles (LAX). We will live in the city.

-Received immigration documents from Juarez that says to present to the officer.

-$220 Immigrant Fee paid late August.

 

Here are my questions:

1. What is the current CBP process? Current posts and blogs online, as well as CBP customer support, say that she'll be stamped for 1 year upon entry. We'll also have to hand over sealed immigration documents (our infant daughter opened it by mistake). Will this visa be in addition to the one that Ciudad Juarez already gave her?

2. Upon entering into the United States, if she travels back to Mexico in case of an emergency (sick mother requiring surgery) before obtaining the green card, will she be able to re-enter the United States after November 4th without the green card?

3. What is the process in obtaining the green card? USCIS says we have to wait 120 days either after payment or after she arrives in the United States.

4. Will she be called by USCIS? Will she have to sign anything? Or will the green card automatically arrive.

 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

In answer to your questions...

 

1. You MUST, I repeat MUST, go back to the embassy to have that envelope re-sealed. How did it get into a baby's hands? You must keep it out of reach. The envelope contains all the paperwork for your wife's case - if the envelope has been opened CBP have no way if knowing if documents have been substituted, altered, added or removed. They can refuse her with an opened envelope. 

2. Yes. The date of expiration on the visa is the latest she can travel to the USA for the first time since she obtained the visa. Once she has entered the visa is invalid. A CR-1 visa is a single use visa. The passport stamp is then used for further international travel until she receives the physical plastic green card. 

3. You just wait for the green card and it will arrive in the mail. You don't need to do anything. Mine took 63 days. I have seen reports of everything between 25 and 120 days to receive the card. Depends on how busy the office is, I suppose. 

4. See above. 

 

 

[abum 324]

The other thread will be merged i suppose
 

 

I can answer some of these:
 

2. That immigrant visa on her passport, once stamped at Port of Entry, will be considered as a GREEN CARD and valid for 1 year from the stamping date (if you are stamped on 1st of Oct 2017, it will be valid up to end of Sept 2018). So that visa in her passport will be her green card.
 

3. Since you have paid for the green card USD 220, the green card will be mailed within 3 months of the entry date TO THE ADDRESS YOU ENTERED WHEN SUBMITTING DS260. Therefore, if you no longer have access to the address, or changed address, AT PORT OF ENTRY, YOU MUST INFORM THE OFFICER OF YOUR NEW ADDRESS. Failure to do this will cause your green card to be delivered to an incorrect address and the you will have to pay USD540 to get it replaced. 
 

4. She wont have to deal with USCIS for the GC stuff, as it will be issued automatically.  But she need to contact SSA to get her SSN (if somehow the process did not assign her SSN automatically)

Edited September 17, 2017 by abumiqdad

[danielrestored 0]

Thanks to the replies. My wife and I will definitely get on the next flight to Ciudad Juarez. Thanks!

[abum 324]

15 minutes ago, danielrestored said:

Thanks to the replies. My wife and I will definitely get on the next flight to Ciudad Juarez. Thanks!

And this is AFTER YOU GET THE PACKAGE/ENVELOPE RE-SEALED right?