Post Visa Arrival Steps for Parents

[XPRSURSLF 0]

Good morning folks.

 

First of all, I would like to thank this forum members for their assistance in past. One of my parents file got lost by USCIS and it took national visa center and USCIS around 7+ months to find the file but luckily everything worked out fine and both parents cleared their interview last month.

 

Can anyone guide me to the steps required once parents land in US on Green Card. The questions I have are following:

 

1) What are they supposed to file for once they get here. How long does it take for GC to arrive in mail? E.g. ssn card, drivers license/id? Anything else that I am missing.  Can they apply for these documents ONLY when they receive their green card in mail?

 

2) Does anyone know if folks on GC are eligible for purchasing health insurance? I am looking for options here? Perhaps share some info if possible

 

3) Regarding work, how long do they actually have to work so that they are eligible for benefits. I would like them to work and pay taxes etc but since they are old I am not sure if they could work 40 hrs. So I want to know minimum hours they can work for X number of yrs so that they get some experience in US and at same time pay taxes and contribute their share.

 

4) Lastly, I would like to know how long can they be outside the country without impacting their citizenship prospectus down the road. What is the process for them to get a waiver if they want to be outside of US for a limited period of time. In a given year how long can they be out of the country. They have some commitments etc which need to be taken care of and it cannot be wrapped up in a short period of time. So  I want to know the ruling on that. If they want to leave is there a process they have to go through and apply?

 

Please guide me for these questions. If there is a link or page for these then do share as well. Sorry if this is repetition.

 

Thank you.

 

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

Assuming they paid/will pay the GC fees, their arrival at POE on the IR5 visa should trigger the green card to arrive after they're admitted into the US. They can apply for the other stuff thereafter. They can travel outside the US for limited duration trip(s), but the US will become their permanent home and they should expect to spend all or a majority of their time in the US. 

[Triple28 65]

39 minutes ago, XPRSURSLF said:

1) What are they supposed to file for once they get here. How long does it take for GC to arrive in mail?

You have to pay their green card fee $220 per peson before they go to the US. If you didn't, you can pay it later.

 

After your parents go to the US:

- The SSN will be sent to your address (noted in DS-260) after 2 - 4 weeks.

But I suggest that you should go to the SSA local office after 1 week, to check if they have your parents' info and ready to issue the SSN card.

Because sometimes Port of Entry does not notify SSA that your parents entered the US, so they do not issue the SSN for your parents.

 

- Green card will be sent to your address (noted in DS-260) after 4 weeks - 4 months.

After paying the green card fee, you will have Receipt Number IOE.

You can use it to check when your parent's green card is issued via this website:

https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do

Or you can register your account in USCIS website above, so they will send email or sms to you as soon as the green card is issued.

 

I suggest that you should register the service Informed Delivery of USPS https://informeddelivery.usps.com 

When USPS postman is going to deliver your mail or green card, they will notify you via sms and email.

So you can check the mail box to avoid the package thief stole your mail and green card.

 

39 minutes ago, XPRSURSLF said:

1) E.g. ssn card, drivers license/id? Can they apply for these documents ONLY when they receive their green card in mail?

After your parents get SSN card, they can go to DMV to apply for driver license or ID. 

 

You have to bring along documents to prove their address such as utility bills, bank statements... 

You should check the required documents in your state's DMV.

 

43 minutes ago, XPRSURSLF said:

4) Lastly, I would like to know how long can they be outside the country without impacting their citizenship prospectus down the road. What is the process for them to get a waiver if they want to be outside of US for a limited period of time. In a given year how long can they be out of the country. They have some commitments etc which need to be taken care of and it cannot be wrapped up in a short period of time. So  I want to know the ruling on that. If they want to leave is there a process they have to go through and apply?

After your parents enter the US, CBP will stamp temporary I-551 green card to their passport.

This temporary stamp I-551 is valid within 1 year. So they can leave the US after that and re-enter in 1 Year without waiting for the physical green card.

 

Green card holder cannot leave the US more than 12 months.

 

If your parents want to leave the US more than 12 months, before they leave the US, they have to apply for re-entry permit I-131, Application for Travel Document in USCIS. This form needs at least 1-3 months for processing.

 

Although they can leave the US less than 1 year, CBP can question them when they enter US if they leave too long (6 - 12 months) or many times within 1 year.

 

From the date of physical green card issuance, 4 years 9 months later, they can apply for citizenship.

[geowrian 22,337]

1. They can apply for the documents without the physical green card. The endorsed visa acts as a green card for 1 year. The physical card can take months to arrive.
2. Sure, they can buy their own health insurance. They can do so privately or via the healthcare marketplace.
   1. There is talk about using the marketplace being an issue for the public charge concern and/or affecting citizenship. However, that is not currently in place and almost certainly would not be retroactive, so looking at it as an option for now is still wise.
3. They must earn 40 qualifying Social Security credits. Generally this means 10 years of work if it is just yourself, although there are circumstances where one can claim another's credits (i.e. a spouse's or child's) as well as their own. Specifics matter.
   1. A credit of work requires a minimum income. See https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/QC.html and https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10072.pdf. The amount of SSI earned depends on how much they contribute to the system.
   2. Certain other benefits may become available after 5 years of permanent residence (regardless of work).
4. There is no fixed time, although they must retain permanent residence within the US. Generally this means one should live in the US more than being abroad. If a single trip is over 12 months, then they will have a legal presumption of having abandoned permanent residence (and "border runs" to avoid a single trip being too long could still raise suspicion that they abandoned permanent residence).
   1. One can apply for a re-entry permit (via an I-131 while in the US) to permit up to 2 years abroad without presumption of having abandoned permanent residence solely due to the length of time abroad. Other factors involving permanent residence still apply (i.e. claiming residence abroad or using benefits that require residence abroad).
   2. As for citizenship, there are 2 major factors: physical presence within the US, and continuous residence. A stay of 6 months or longer abroad is presumed to have broken continuous residence. Stays of less than 6 months with only a short trip back to the US can be deemed to have broken continuous residence by the IO adjudicating the N-400. They get to make that judgement call based on the facts surrounding the circumstances.

[Boiler 45,493]

Most people get their Health Insurance through Employment, they can also buy through the State Exchange.

[CEE53147 559]

1 hour ago, XPRSURSLF said:

Good morning folks.

 

First of all, I would like to thank this forum members for their assistance in past. One of my parents file got lost by USCIS and it took national visa center and USCIS around 7+ months to find the file but luckily everything worked out fine and both parents cleared their interview last month.

 

Can anyone guide me to the steps required once parents land in US on Green Card. The questions I have are following:

 

1) What are they supposed to file for once they get here. How long does it take for GC to arrive in mail? E.g. ssn card, drivers license/id? Anything else that I am missing.  Can they apply for these documents ONLY when they receive their green card in mail?

 

2) Does anyone know if folks on GC are eligible for purchasing health insurance? I am looking for options here? Perhaps share some info if possible

 

3) Regarding work, how long do they actually have to work so that they are eligible for benefits. I would like them to work and pay taxes etc but since they are old I am not sure if they could work 40 hrs. So I want to know minimum hours they can work for X number of yrs so that they get some experience in US and at same time pay taxes and contribute their share.

 

4) Lastly, I would like to know how long can they be outside the country without impacting their citizenship prospectus down the road. What is the process for them to get a waiver if they want to be outside of US for a limited period of time. In a given year how long can they be out of the country. They have some commitments etc which need to be taken care of and it cannot be wrapped up in a short period of time. So  I want to know the ruling on that. If they want to leave is there a process they have to go through and apply?

 

Please guide me for these questions. If there is a link or page for these then do share as well. Sorry if this is repetition.

 

1 hour ago, XPRSURSLF said:

 

Thank you.

 

3 - Work credits are based on earnings and not hours worked. They will need to get 40 quarters of credit which can be accomplished in a little less than 10 physical years.

 

4.  They are expected to make the US their home with short absences.  They can file for a reentry permit before they leave which will grant them permission to be outside the US for up to two years without losing their GC.  Extended periods outside the US will affect the filing date for citizenship.

 

The rules are well documented.

 

There are many discussions of health insurance for parents on this forum; search for them. If you are just now considering this, you are very, very late. 

 

 

 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

2 hours ago, XPRSURSLF said:

Good morning folks.

 

First of all, I would like to thank this forum members for their assistance in past. One of my parents file got lost by USCIS and it took national visa center and USCIS around 7+ months to find the file but luckily everything worked out fine and both parents cleared their interview last month.

 

Can anyone guide me to the steps required once parents land in US on Green Card. The questions I have are following:

 

1) What are they supposed to file for once they get here. How long does it take for GC to arrive in mail? E.g. ssn card, drivers license/id? Anything else that I am missing.  Can they apply for these documents ONLY when they receive their green card in mail?

 

2) Does anyone know if folks on GC are eligible for purchasing health insurance? I am looking for options here? Perhaps share some info if possible

 

3) Regarding work, how long do they actually have to work so that they are eligible for benefits. I would like them to work and pay taxes etc but since they are old I am not sure if they could work 40 hrs. So I want to know minimum hours they can work for X number of yrs so that they get some experience in US and at same time pay taxes and contribute their share.

 

4) Lastly, I would like to know how long can they be outside the country without impacting their citizenship prospectus down the road. What is the process for them to get a waiver if they want to be outside of US for a limited period of time. In a given year how long can they be out of the country. They have some commitments etc which need to be taken care of and it cannot be wrapped up in a short period of time. So  I want to know the ruling on that. If they want to leave is there a process they have to go through and apply?

 

Please guide me for these questions. If there is a link or page for these then do share as well. Sorry if this is repetition.

 

Thank you.

 

I have to observe that a number of these questions would have been better researched before they came.

 

1. These are the easy things. SSN & green card should arrive automatically if you ticked the right box and paid the GC fee. DMV for drivers licenses. Can use the stamped visa which is now a temporary I551 (green card) before the plastic one arrives.

 

2. Of course they can, in fact must, purchase healthcare of some sort- but be careful what you get them in terms of the new public charge rules being debated. If they end up using certain tax credits etc the proposal is that they will be prevented from ultimately becoming citizens on public charge grounds. So keep a close eye on any legislation changes.

 

3. Minimum 10 years/40 quarters. If they work less hours in that they qualify for lower $ benefits (if i understand it correctly).

 

4. Generally 6 months or their 5-year clock resets, look up the continuous presence and physical presence (2 separate but linked) requirements for naturalization. NOTE: this is different from not losing a green card (= max 1 year absence or 2 years with re-entry permit). You can theoretically perpetually meet the requirements for keeping your green card without ever meeting the requirements to naturalize. 

Edited August 13, 2018 by SusieQQQ