MichaelaH

I have the EB-2 with National Interest Waiver, I have the visa in my passport, what is left to do is arrive to the States and get a job. I understand I get my SSN after I arrive to the States. Should I wait with job hunting until I get SSN? I would prefer to get a job offer before I arrive, then arrive, get SSN and start working. I just don't know if that's acceptable in how hiring process goes in the States, and I don't want to spend the time and effort hunting for a job for them to tell me they won't even consider me until I have SSN, or for them to tell me they went with someone else because I don't have SSN yet. I can arrive to the States on short notice once I secure job offer, but with the U.S. job market being kind of wild from what I've read on the internet, I don't know if that will take weeks or months.. which is why I'd prefer to arrive only once I secure job offer. Thoughts or advices on this? How did you do it?

Wow! Great idea. I found direct flight from Frankfurt to St.Louis 😁 That means St.Louis will be my point of entry and and I don't have to worry about keeping enough time to change flights. Thanks a lot!

My arrival time to Chicago falls into afternoon. I'd pick less busy time but my travel takes 2-3 layovers so got to work with what I got. Five times in last 2 years, last time two months ago on the photo. Its always super packed with people. Global entry sounds cool, I'll find info on that. I'll be flying a lot across atlantic in next several years anyway.

Awesome, thanks! So, alien line, +1 hour for opening package and in office interview. Good!

TL;DR: How much longer does it take for getting through immigration services as first-time arriving immigrant compared to ESTA visitor on arrival to the U.S. airport? Me and my son finally got our immigration visas stamped into our passports and immigration packets handed to us from U.S. Embassy. I'm looking to book us a flight. We will arrive most probably to ORD (Chicago O'Hare) airport, which I know well. I need to book us a connecting flight to our destination, but I'm not sure how much time I need to keep for processing to enter the States when arriving on immigration visa? When we flied on ESTA, we went through queques with all the arriving aliens, which took us typically about 1-2 hrs spent in the waiting lines and a couple minutes talk with immigration officer. I remember there being separate empty lines for Green Card holders - but I am not sure if we count as Green Card holders when we will get the green card mailed only after we arrive to the States? So it could go faster, if we go into Green Card holder line. But also, the immigration packages are kind of bulky, are they going to go through all that paperwork with us? It could go much slower if they do. All together, I may need 1 or 5+ hours for the layover, I have no clue. Any insight and own experiences on first time immigration visa arrival appreciated. Thank you. Michaela

Thank you!

Hello, I am getting EB-2+NIW immigration visa. As I understand it, on my Interview I will get a stamp in my passport and a sealed packet, which I will hand out on my Point of Entry to the States. I fill a form there to get the physical Green Card, but it will take up to 90 days to obtain the card. In meanwhile, I can work if I obtain EAD. But I got NIW (National Interest Waiver), which is supposed to mean that I do NOT need work permit. Does it mean I can start working as soon as I enter the States? What do I show to the prospective employer - the passport stamp? I'm really scared of the up to 90 days period I would have to stay without work and therefore without health insurance. How can I work before I receive my Green Card as a EB-2+NIW holder? Thank you.

I found out elsewhere that they do send from AskNVC@state.gov ... I whitelisted the email in my inbox like this and asked them to resend the Welcome Letter. I got their reply, and then two weeks later the Welcome Letter

@Pingubai I found a solution which worked for me! Maybe give it a try. Good luck! 1. I found out elsewhere that they do send from AskNVC@state.gov ... I whitelisted the email in my inbox like this 2. I sent an AskNVC form telling them I did not get the Welcome Letter even on them resending it, that I suspect they may have incorrect address, what my email address is and to please resend it again. 3. I got their reply, that they updated my address and are resending it 4. Two weeks later I got my Welcome Letter to the email

Yes, I checked, nothing is there. I checked repeatedly. They answered that they resent it. But it did not get to me. Do you know the email adress they send Welcome Letter from?

Hello. TL/DR: What is the email NVC sends electronic version of Welcome Letter from, so I can whitelist the email address? I did not get my Welcome Letter from NVC. I need it for the included Cover Sheet, to be able to submit documents. So I Asked NVC to resend it. They did, but I didn't receive anything. I think, if they send it by email, that maybe my email provider has too aggressive spam filter and would like to whitelist the email address, so the spam filter lets it into my inbox, before I ask them to resend it yet again. Could someone who received the Welcome Letter copy through email please let me know what email address they sent it from? Thank you very much.

I thought so, thank you. Since I can not seem to be able to get hold on my Cover Sheet, can I just use someone elses Cover Sheet and replace the case number with my own? No, I do not have a lawyer, I don't know how to find reliable and affordable lawyer, feels like a labyrinthine jungle to me. Yes, I check the spam folder.. but GMail could be so aggressive it doesn't even bother to deliver it into spam folder. What is the email address they send it from? I could whitelist it in GMail and try to get them to send it again.

I self-petitioned for EB-2 with NIW on 17th January 2023 and had it approved in April 2023. My case was resent to NVC. By Visa Bulletin, since January 2024, the Date for Filing for my visa category is 15th February 2023, so as far as I found out, I should get Welcome Letter and do the steps needed to become Documentarily Complete. I never got a Welcome Letter or another contact from NVC. I contacted NVC, got my login info. I paid fees, submitted DS-260, but there is no option to upload documents. As far as I know, there are three ways to send documents: - upload to CEAC : can not do because the option is missing (I am self-petitioned so I do not need Affidavit of Support) - send by mail: can not do because one NEEDS to include Cover Sheet from Welcome Letter, which I never got. - send by email: maybe I should try this? But they write one shouldn't unless specifically asked. But then, NVC didnt bother ask or inform me of anything so far. I also contacted NVC about not having the Cover Sheet, twice. I got a generic reply to the first, and that they are resending the Welcome Letter to the second. After that, I got into my mailbox a letter, that they resent the Welcome Letter. I did not get the Welcome Letter itself. I'm lost, how do I submit the documents? Anyone faced similar issue?