Can I travel back to my country after entering the US with my Immigrant Visa

[Gisselle Villegas 15]

Hello, can someone travel out of the US a few days after entering and getting his Immigrant Visa stamped?  We have a physical address in the US where the SS card and Green Card will be sent to.   We know the wait for the Green Card can take months and my husband who is the beneficiary does not want to be unemployed for so long which brings us to another question:  Can he search for work (Indeed, Monster jobs, etc) prior to entering the US and when he has a good chance of being hired, can he work with just the stamped Immigrant Visa or does he have to wait until he gets the actual Green Card?  Thanks in advance for your answers!

Edited September 12, 2021 by Gisselle Villegas

[HRQX 4,145]

7 minutes ago, Gisselle Villegas said:

can he work with just the stamped Immigrant Visa

Yes: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/temporary-i-551-stamps-and-mrivs "The employee’s foreign passport with the MRIV is evidence the employee has permanent residence status for 1 year from the date of admission." He can also work while waiting for the SSN: https://www.e-verify.gov/faq/my-employee-applied-for-a-social-security-number-ssn-but-has-not-yet-received-it-what-should-i

My employee applied for a Social Security number (SSN) but has not yet received it. What should I do?

A case cannot be created in E-Verify without an SSN. If a newly hired employee has applied for, but has not yet received his or her SSN (e.g., the employee is a newly arrived immigrant), attach an explanation to the employee’s Form I-9 and set it aside. Then create a case in E-Verify using the employee’s SSN as soon as it is available. If you are unable to create a case by the third business day after the employee’s first day of employment, select Awaiting Social Security number when prompted by E-Verify.

 

An example of working right after entering with the Immigrant Visa:

11 minutes ago, Gisselle Villegas said:

Hello, can someone travel out of the US a few days after entering and getting his Immigrant Visa stamped?

Yes, he can travel abroad as an LPR. Just make sure he doesn't abandon his status: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-we-grant-your-green-card/maintaining-permanent-residence

Abandoning Permanent Resident Status

You may also lose your permanent resident status by intentionally abandoning it, including but not limited to:

• Moving to another country and intending to live there permanently;
• Declaring yourself a “nonimmigrant” on your U.S. tax returns; or
• Remaining outside of the United States for an extended period of time, unless it’s a temporary absence, as shown by:
  • The reason for your trip;
  • How long you planned to be absent from the United States;
  • Any other circumstances of your absence; and
  • Any events that may have prolonged your absence.

[HRQX 4,145]

***I have moved this topic to Working & Traveling During US Immigration forum*****

[Just Paul 4,595]

53 minutes ago, Gisselle Villegas said:

Hello, can someone travel out of the US a few days after entering and getting his Immigrant Visa stamped? 

Yes with a CR1/IR1 visa you can leave the same day.  We came in on a sunday and left for a Mexican weekend the next friday,

[nastra30 2,287]

9 hours ago, Gisselle Villegas said:

Hello, can someone travel out of the US a few days after entering and getting his Immigrant Visa stamped? - yes, his stamped visa serves the same purpose as physical green card for a year. But make sure he doesn't stay too long outside the US and abandon his LPR status.

We have a physical address in the US where the SS card and Green Card will be sent to.   We know the wait for the Green Card can take months and my husband who is the beneficiary does not want to be unemployed for so long which brings us to another question:  Can he search for work (Indeed, Monster jobs, etc) prior to entering the US and when he has a good chance of being hired, can he work with just the stamped Immigrant Visa or does he have to wait until he gets the actual Green Card?  - Again, yes, his stamped visa serves the same purpose as physical green card for a year. But you'll need a SSN as well. Though you can start working while waiting for SSN if you've already applied for it.

Thanks in advance for your answers!

 

[Gisselle Villegas 15]

37 minutes ago, nastra30 said:

 

How long is "too long".  Our intention is to enter the US as soon as he gets his passport back from the Embassy here in Costa Rica, stay for a few days visiting my family and then fly back to Costa Rica for a few months while we sell our stuff, he finds a job while applying online all the while continue working in Costa Rica until he finds a job in the US.  We estimate it can take from 3 to 4 months.  I thought that since the stamped Visa is valid for 1 year we would have that length of time to enter permanently in the US.

[Just Paul 4,595]

29 minutes ago, Gisselle Villegas said:

How long is "too long". 

Depends on what your intents are. Less than six months isn't an issue. More than a year is abandonment.  But in the case on never really living in the US I'd try to keep it less than the 6 months.  If he intends to go for citizenship then less then 6 months is best.

[Gisselle Villegas 15]

14 minutes ago, Paul & Mary said:

Depends on what your intents are. Less than six months isn't an issue. More than a year is abandonment.  But in the case on never really living in the US I'd try to keep it less than the 6 months.  If he intends to go for citizenship then less then 6 months is best.

The intention is definitely aim for his citizenship after 5 years of living in the US.  However, in the present moment there are a few assets that need to be either sold or duly managed before leaving Costa Rica for good, sell furniture, vehicles, close some bank acounts and credit cards and especially have a job lined up in the US before resigning from his current job in Costa Rica.  The thought of being unemployed for an X period of time and depleting our lifelong savings causes him a lot of stress and me too to say the least.   We've been married and living in Costa Rica for 25 yrs so there are plenty of things that need to be in order before moving for good.

Edited September 12, 2021 by Gisselle Villegas

[Just Paul 4,595]

1 minute ago, Gisselle Villegas said:

The intention is definitely aim for his citizenship after 5 years of living in the US. 

He can get citizenship in 3 years by being married to a USC.  He needs to watch the "Continuous Residency" requirements regardless of 3 or 5 year filing.