Am I able to vacation to another country after being issued my visa and envelope?

[AJ & K 0]

Hi all,

Thank you in advance. I have tried to research this but wanted to get your opinion.

My husband and I are wanting to finally have our honeymoon but have held off for various reasons. 
We wanted to vacation to Japan from my home country (UK) after I get my passport back and the visa/envelope.
I have heard horror stories of something happening to the visa within the passport (such as other countries border control messing with it upon entry etc) and it's really freaked me out and made me nervous to travel anywhere before I get to the states.

I know this is probably not the case but just needed a little guidance.

So is it possible upon receiving my visa/envelope after successful interview to travel elsewhere before I head to the USA?

Thank you and apologies if this is a silly question! 

[Crazy Cat 41,349]

Going to other countries before entering the US via your immigrant visa is fine.  I have never heard of anyone experiencing problems as you described.

[AJ & K 0]

1 minute ago, Crazy Cat said:

Going to other countries before entering the US via your immigrant visa is fine.  I have never heard of anyone experiencing problems as you described.

Thank you so much, I thought that would be the case. Sometimes the smallest thing fills me with worry that something will go wrong during this process!

[SteveInBostonI130 3,373]

The page opposite the visa is intentionally left blank for CBP to "endorse" your visa upon entry, allowing it to act as a temporary I-551.

 

Technically, the other country's border agent could stamp on that blank page.  Most tend to flip to a totally blank section (both pages blank) but it is possible.  I am not sure how CBP would handle the endorsement in this scenario.

 

 

[Sarah&Facundo 589]

Yes, we did this. Because we would not be able to travel for our honeymoon, we did our trip first then came to the US and got married. We flew to Europe and traveled to several countries, then entered the US on the K1 and got married two weeks later. No issues.

[SteveInBostonI130 3,373]

K1 visa has no supplementary use.  The CR1/IR1 visa becomes a temporary GC after endorsement.  Not the same thing.

 

EDIT:  Worst case scenario, if the endorsing page gets stamped by the foreign country and if the OP needs to use the passport as a temporary GC, she may need to go to her local USCIS office and get an ADIT stamp.

Edited January 27, 2023 by SteveInBostonI130

[Rocio0010 5,579]

15 minutes ago, Sarah&Facundo said:

We flew to Europe and traveled to several countries, then entered the US on the K1 and got married two weeks later. No issues.

Not OP's situation. Your K1 had no supplementary use. OP is on a CR1 and is concerned about her entry to other places messing up with the CR-1 page where her I-551 should be stamped.

[Verrou 1,953]

i will put post it / sticky note on the empty blank next to the visa, and just wrote " please dont stamp here" when u travel to japan 

[JeanneAdil 6,402]

Just enter the US before the visa expires