Travelling to the US with Visa before I intend to use it

[Yvie_and_Brett 0]

A few facts so you can understand our position:

1. By the looks of things, I should have my CR1 by the end of next week.

2. My husband (USC) and I intend to visit the US on a househunting trip 4-8 weeks before our Big Move. He's still securing a job offer, so we don't know where we'll be moving to yet. When he has a job lined up, then we'll go looking for a house.

3. The US address used in our application was his parents' address in WY, but we have no intention of moving to that State, we'll be going to FL or TX.

My questions are:

* Can I travel on a passport with a valid immigrant visa in it WITHOUT actually using it and triggering the green card, etc as we won't be moving to the US for at least a month after that visit? I'm from the UK, so I qualify for VWP.

* Does it actually matter if it's triggered or not, seeing as we can file a change of address and have his folks forward on the Green Card/SSN info anyway?

* Is it better to trigger the GC/SSN on my househunting visit so I already have my paperwork when I arrive in the US? It could be quite handy to able to sort out my Drivers Licence and a bank account without rattling around the house waiting for the mailman to bring them.

* Are there any possible complications I need to be aware of?

We're in the enviable position of having our Visa approved within 3 months of posting our petition, but we weren't expecting it to happen so soon and now things seem to be happening in the wrong order, so I'm getting myself worried about it all. I'd be very interested to read your comments and suggestions.

If this would be better posted in another forum, please feel free to move it

[Aniomaman 0]

-Your visa gets triggered once you enter the US on your next trip, you cannot use the VWP at this stage and you'll need to wait for your GC to arrive before you make any trip out of the states, I believe.

-It's not a matter of choice, it gets triggered anyways and I believe the GC is sent to the stateside address given when you filed, I wouldn't advice you to change address at this stage as the USCIS are well known for messing things up with changed addressed.

I would advice you to wait until you really want to make the big move before travelling as your visa will be triggered now despite being eligible for the VWP, which will mean u need to wait until you get your GC which is taking about 8 weeks at this time due to card production issues. All the best.

Just my understanding of the process and do stand to be corrrected, maybe others who have been through the same process can shed more light.

Edited July 28, 2009 by Aniomaman

[gooberlove 0]

When i got my CR1 visa, my lawyer made me promise to never use the VWP anymore because it would make them so suspicious. So i would advise to use it on your first trip. Then, you can leave, as long as you stay most of the year in the USA

Good luck

[TayRivers 4]

A few facts so you can understand our position:

1. By the looks of things, I should have my CR1 by the end of next week.

2. My husband (USC) and I intend to visit the US on a househunting trip 4-8 weeks before our Big Move. He's still securing a job offer, so we don't know where we'll be moving to yet. When he has a job lined up, then we'll go looking for a house.

3. The US address used in our application was his parents' address in WY, but we have no intention of moving to that State, we'll be going to FL or TX.

My questions are:

* Can I travel on a passport with a valid immigrant visa in it WITHOUT actually using it and triggering the green card, etc as we won't be moving to the US for at least a month after that visit? I'm from the UK, so I qualify for VWP.

* Does it actually matter if it's triggered or not, seeing as we can file a change of address and have his folks forward on the Green Card/SSN info anyway?

* Is it better to trigger the GC/SSN on my househunting visit so I already have my paperwork when I arrive in the US? It could be quite handy to able to sort out my Drivers Licence and a bank account without rattling around the house waiting for the mailman to bring them.

* Are there any possible complications I need to be aware of?

We're in the enviable position of having our Visa approved within 3 months of posting our petition, but we weren't expecting it to happen so soon and now things seem to be happening in the wrong order, so I'm getting myself worried about it all. I'd be very interested to read your comments and suggestions.

If this would be better posted in another forum, please feel free to move it

You would need to activate your CR1 visa when you enter the US on your next trip.. When you are at the POE the immigration officer will stamp your CR1 visa and that will become a temp Greencard and is valid for international travel and employment in the US. You Actual greencard will be mailed to the address you give at the POE. So it would be mailed to that address and if that is a family address they can hold on to it until you are here in the US for good.

The only thing you will need when you use the temp greencard stamp is the passport it is in. Also you will not need to complete and I-94 when you return to the USA as you will be a premanent resident.

Happy house hunting..

[Yvie_and_Brett 0]

The courier is coming to collect my passport and documents tomorrow, therefore I was on a bit of a deadline and after receiving conflicting advice here, I decided to call the extortion line.

You would need to activate your CR1 visa when you enter the US on your next trip.. When you are at the POE the immigration officer will stamp your CR1 visa and that will become a temp Greencard and is valid for international travel and employment in the US. You Actual greencard will be mailed to the address you give at the POE. So it would be mailed to that address and if that is a family address they can hold on to it until you are here in the US for good.

This is pretty much exactly what I was told on the phone. The stamp you get in your passport (I551) is valid for 12 months and acts as a temporary GC until that arrives in the mail. It is valid for travel within and to/from the US during that period also.

Thanks to those who replied, you wouldn't believe what was running through my mind. I had images of us living in a hotel for a month while we waited for the house sale to go through cuz we couldn't go househunting! lol

[milimelo 4,481]

No worries - we activated my CR-1 visa on a 2-week visit to husband's family then went back to my home country for another 5,5 months until he finished his military deployment and I wrapped up my work. They never even asked where's myu GC - the I-551 stamp was sufficient.

Good luck house hunting!

[Yvie_and_Brett 0]

No worries - we activated my CR-1 visa on a 2-week visit to husband's family then went back to my home country for another 5,5 months until he finished his military deployment and I wrapped up my work. They never even asked where's myu GC - the I-551 stamp was sufficient.

Good luck house hunting!

I love double confirmations.

This will actually work in our favour. It means that by the time we move the the US, there's a very good chance that my GC and SSN could have already arrived at my In-Laws and I may be able to sort out a bank account and drivers licence within my first week in the country. That's much better than stressing about the mailman not bringing my paperwork while I'm experiencing homesickness and crying for no apparent reason every 20 minutes, lol.