Visa for Wife Issued; Need First Steps for Green Card

[The White Fiance 22]

Sorry if I am bringing up an old topic, but I could use a little help.

 

My wife will be arriving in the US this week. She has her spousal visa. I paid the $220 immigrant fee.

 

The USCIS site had some confusing instructions about getting her a green card. I have been Googling, looking for a better explanation.

 

Can anyone point me to some quick answers? I'm trying to figure out whether there is anything I should do online today. One sentence or a link should do it.

[The White Fiance 22]

After I paid the fee, the USCIS site presented a lot of stuff about giving them information needed to get a green card. We are both very excited at the time, so I figured I would get back to the process later in the day. Now the information is not popping up.

 

We have an IR1 visa, and a site I checked says the green card will come to my house without further effort, since we have paid the $220.00 fee. If so, I don't understand why USCIS would ask me for additional input after paying, but the government is not known for well-constructed websites.

[Vickys_Mom 199]

You paid the fee, and when she enters the U.S. that satisfies the other requirement.  The green card should be issued within 90 days of both requirements being satisfied.

 

Regards,
Vicky's Mom

 

[JeanneAdil 6,322]

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-fees/uscis-immigrant-fee

 

After you are admitted to the United States, USCIS will:

• Verify that you paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee; and
• Mail your Green Card to the address you gave to DOS during your immigrant visa interview (or gave to CBP when you arrived in the United States, if your address changed

[The White Fiance 22]

Thanks for the help. I finally found a site that lists the info I needed in a comprehensible way without tons of errors.

 

In case anyone else has this problem, here is what I learned: once you pay the fee, you can travel.

 

1. Many sites conflate the passport visa with the IR-1 and the green card. Different things. It looks like the passport visa and the IR-1 are distinct, or maybe it's more correct to say the one they put in the passport is extended when the green card is issued. Not sure. The passport visa is just to get the applicant into the US, and ours lasts about 120 days. An IR-1 or CR-1 visa is what you get with your green card. The IR-1 visa lasts 10 years. A CR-1 lasts two years, because "CR" means "Conditional Resident." "IR" means "Immediate Relative."

 

2. A green card is proof you have the right to enter the US and live and work here. A spouse with a green card can get a bank account, SS number, and driver's license, and of course, it permits employment. A green card recipient with an IR-1 can apply for naturalization in 3 years.

 

3. The immigrant fee goes to pay for the green card, and it has to be paid before the applicant travels to the US, so the passport visa is not sufficient. You do not need to possess the physical green card in order to enter the US. After you pay, the green card automatically goes to your US address. The fee can be paid with a credit card at the USCIS site.

 

If I find out I've been handed any more misinformation, I will update the thread accordingly.

[appleblossom 1,583]

2 minutes ago, The White Fiance said:

Thanks for the help. I finally found a site that lists the info I needed in a comprehensible way without tons of errors.

 

In case anyone else has this problem, here is what I learned: once you pay the fee, you can travel.

 

1. Many sites conflate the passport visa with the IR-1 and the green card. Different things. It looks like the passport visa and the IR-1 are distinct, or maybe it's more correct to say the one they put in the passport is extended when the green card is issued. Not sure. The passport visa is just to get the applicant into the US, and ours lasts about 120 days. An IR-1 or CR-1 visa is what you get with your green card. The IR-1 visa lasts 10 years. A CR-1 lasts two years, because "CR" means "Conditional Resident." "IR" means "Immediate Relative."

 

2. A green card is proof you have the right to enter the US and live and work here. A spouse with a green card can get a bank account, SS number, and driver's license, and of course, it permits employment. A green card recipient with an IR-1 can apply for naturalization in 3 years.

 

3. The immigrant fee goes to pay for the green card, and it has to be paid before the applicant travels to the US, so the passport visa is not sufficient. You do not need to possess the physical green card in order to enter the US. After you pay, the green card automatically goes to your US address. The fee can be paid with a credit card at the USCIS site.

 

If I find out I've been handed any more misinformation, I will update the thread accordingly.

 

I'd only use the official websites, nothing from a third party. You won't risk getting the wrong info that way. 

 

1. Yes, they are two different things. A visa is only an entry document i.e. it gets you in to the country. The visa will be valid for 6 months from the date of medical, and then once it's endorsed it acts as a temporary green card (I-551) for a year until the plastic one arrives in the mail.

 

2. Sort of. Just holding a GC for 3 years wouldn't be enough to be eligible for citizenship, there are physical presence requirements etc as well. People can get bank accounts, driving licences etc without a green card, and the I-1551 (endorsed visa) will suffice for all that, you don't need the green card for any of it. 

 

3. The IV fee can also be paid upon entry or after entry. The green card just won't be produced & mailed until it's paid. 

 

HTH.

[The White Fiance 22]

The government website is what drove me to look for other sources! I wonder how people who don't have good English skills manage to deal with it. I'm a lawyer, and it confused me.

 

The main thing is that I want to be sure my wife will not be thrown out of the airport when she shows up on Friday with the passport visa. She has the visa, we paid the immigrant fee, and we want to be sure that will get her into the US. Looks like we are all set.

 

We are a little traumatized because of repeated visa denials from other countries. We ate a huge loss when the Italian Embassy told us she could get a tourist visa only if we paid for tickets before applying. They would not accept "dummy" tickets, as every other embassy and consulate does. They assured us she would get the visa, and then they turned her down.

[powerpuff 6,123]

*** Topic moved from CR1/IR1 spousal visa forum to General discussion forum as this is post visa process ***

[milimelo 4,306]

May want to familiarize yourself with the USCIS issued guides. M-618 is very helpful to get started.

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/M-618.pdf

https://www.uscis.gov/tools/how-do-i-guides/how-do-i-guides-for-permanent-residents

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-we-grant-your-green-card/rights-and-responsibilities-of-a-green-card-holder-permanent-resident

[JeanneAdil 6,322]

27 minutes ago, The White Fiance said:

Thanks for the help. I finally found a site that lists the info I needed in a comprehensible way without tons of errors.

 

In case anyone else has this problem, here is what I learned: once you pay the fee, you can travel.

 

1. Many sites conflate the passport visa with the IR-1 and the green card. Different things. It looks like the passport visa and the IR-1 are distinct, or maybe it's more correct to say the one they put in the passport is extended when the green card is issued. Not sure. The passport visa is just to get the applicant into the US, and ours lasts about 120 days. An IR-1 or CR-1 visa is what you get with your green card. The IR-1 visa lasts 10 years. A CR-1 lasts two years, because "CR" means "Conditional Resident." "IR" means "Immediate Relative."

sometimes embassy writes cr1 and it will be changed by CBP or USCIS /IF Wrong card is issued the immigrate needs to get it corrected with I 90

2. A green card is proof you have the right to enter the US and live and work here. A spouse with a green card can get a bank account, SS number, and driver's license, and of course, it permits employment. A green card recipient with an IR-1 can apply for naturalization in 3 years.  USCIS will process the SS card if the box on ds 260 is marked for them to do it

u can start the naturalition petition 90 days before the 3 year mark paying attention to our different time zones and the time spent outside the USA

3. The immigrant fee goes to pay for the green card, and it has to be paid before the applicant travels to the US, so the passport visa is not sufficient. You do not need to possess the physical green card in order to enter the US. After you pay, the green card automatically goes to your US address. The fee can be paid with a credit card at the USCIS site.

it is advised by USCIS to pay this way but not a rule /it can be paid after entering

If I find out I've been handed any more misinformation, I will update the thread accordingly.   Rad the USCIS 

 

[appleblossom 1,583]

19 minutes ago, The White Fiance said:

The government website is what drove me to look for other sources! I wonder how people who don't have good English skills manage to deal with it. I'm a lawyer, and it confused me.

 

The main thing is that I want to be sure my wife will not be thrown out of the airport when she shows up on Friday with the passport visa. She has the visa, we paid the immigrant fee, and we want to be sure that will get her into the US. Looks like we are all set.

 

I always thought it was quite good info, and I'm not a lawyer! She is all set. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview/step-12-after-the-interview.html

 

Good luck.

Edited November 14, 2023 by appleblossom

[The White Fiance 22]

Thanks for sending that link. It was the USCIS site that started asking me for input which now appears to have been unnecessary.