What does this mean?

[niwea]

I am a US GC holder. When I enter US, the immigration people put a date stamp in the passport and write "ARC" What is meant by "ARC"?

If I am a visitor what would they do?

If I am a citizen what would they do?

Thanks in advance to all the 'Gurus' who have helped solve and understand the immigration puzzles unthinkable to common man.

[C R S]

Originally Posted by niwea

I am a US GC holder. When I enter US, the immigration people put a date stamp in the passport and write "ARC" What is meant by "ARC"?

If I am a visitor what would they do?

If I am a citizen what would they do?

Thanks in advance to all the 'Gurus' who have helped solve and understand the immigration puzzles unthinkable to common man.

ARC stands for one of the following (pick your favorite one ):

1. Alien Registration Card
2. Alien Resident Card
3. Alien Registration receipt Card

Passports belonging to non-immigrants are "guaranteed" to get stamped; those belonging to permanent residents often get stamped along with some kind of notation such as ARC; those belonging to citizens are rarely stamped.

[niwea]

I guess choice 1 is correct. A question should go on who wants to be a millionarre for immigrants!

Thank you.

[niwea]

When I got GC the border post placed a stamp on my passport saying

"PROCESSED FOR I-551 TEMORARY EVIDENCE OF blah...blah...blah... and also a date stamp".

Does this stamp gets to every ones's passport who will get a GC? If people get their GC with I-485 (not consular processing), do they still get this stamp?

Thanks in advance...

[C R S]

Originally Posted by niwea

If people get their GC with I-485 (not consular processing), do they still get this stamp?

There was a time when practically everyone got this stamp but the need for it has gone down. In fact, there has been a policy switch in this regard and the CIS does not dispense these stamps as freely as they used to. However, someone who enter the US with an immigrant visa (after CP) continues to receive this stamp as usual.

[niwea]

Thank you so much.