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Landing first time in USA?

P

Peter89A

New Member
Greetings. :D

Me and my wife are flying to Dallas, Fort Worth this summer to activate our LPR-status.

How does the process normally look at the airport? should we just ask around for Border and Customs, or do we hade to go somewhere special?
Perhaps they will tell us at check out where to go?
I simply want to hear your experiences when you land :)

Also, might aswell ask another question - Taxes.:rolleyes:

I do know that we are required to file tax reports, even for income outside of USA after we become LPR.
Now, we plan to stay for 3 weeks in Texas for a look around. Then we´ll be flying home. I will finish my university studies and my wife will get back to work.
We plan to do the final move summer 2018, at that time we plan to sell our apartment.

Now for my question : Does anyone of you know if we are required to pay taxes for our apartment and my wifes incom? Her income is around 35.000USD/year. The apartments value is around 90.000USD.
I would like to contact IRS but as I havnt gotten my LPR nor my SSN yet I cannot do that:oops::(
 
Peter89A said:
Greetings. :D

Me and my wife are flying to Dallas, Fort Worth this summer to activate our LPR-status.

How does the process normally look at the airport? should we just ask around for Border and Customs, or do we hade to go somewhere special?
Perhaps they will tell us at check out where to go?
I simply want to hear your experiences when you land :)

Also, might aswell ask another question - Taxes.:rolleyes:

I do know that we are required to file tax reports, even for income outside of USA after we become LPR.
Now, we plan to stay for 3 weeks in Texas for a look around. Then we´ll be flying home. I will finish my university studies and my wife will get back to work.
We plan to do the final move summer 2018, at that time we plan to sell our apartment.

Now for my question : Does anyone of you know if we are required to pay taxes for our apartment and my wifes incom? Her income is around 35.000USD/year. The apartments value is around 90.000USD.
I would like to contact IRS but as I havnt gotten my LPR nor my SSN yet I cannot do that:oops::(
Click to expand...

Yeah, just land and look around for someone to direct you to a line, make sure they see your big envelope. At most airports you'll be in the regular visitors line, as you're not a LPR till you get your passport stamped, but some have special lines for new immigrants.

Re taxes, nb personal opinion... you don't pay tax just on owning something, and with that apartment value even on a sale you will fall well under the capital gains tax threshold for primary residence. The income should be covered under the foreign exemption even if there's not a double tax treaty. So doesn't look like you'll need to pay in. ...all this is my quick opinion not proper tax advice though!! A suggestion, IRS forms are complex especially for new immigrants, suggest you get an expert to do it for you, worth the expense.
 
Thank you for the answers! We´ll make sure to hire an accountat. I´ve seen the forms before and it gave me a headacheo_O

When activating our LPR-status. Is there another interview at the airport? Or do they just stamp our passports?
Also, as we are only staying 3 weeks. We wont be able to get our Greencards or SSN cards. The adress I´ve given is to my best friend, who lives in New Jersey. Is it "Legal" for him to send our cards with UPS priortiy mail to us in Sweden?=)
 
Peter89A said:
Thank you for the answers! We´ll make sure to hire an accountat. I´ve seen the forms before and it gave me a headacheo_O

When activating our LPR-status. Is there another interview at the airport? Or do they just stamp our passports?
Also, as we are only staying 3 weeks. We wont be able to get our Greencards or SSN cards. The adress I´ve given is to my best friend, who lives in New Jersey. Is it "Legal" for him to send our cards with UPS priortiy mail to us in Sweden?=)
Click to expand...

You should have your SSN cards within 2 weeks max if all goes as it should. Don't ever send your green cards through the mail - not worth the risk. Get them couriered to you, it's worth the expense for the peace of mind (and proper tracking).

Also, just looking at your timing above, ensure you are back in the US less than a year after you leave!
 
Ah, of course. That´s what I meant, Fedex offers courier and tracking, the whole packages. Should be safe to send it through them?

Yes, we arrive in dallas, june 30 this summer. We plan to return to usa end of may 2018, so 11 months.
If I´m correct DV-winners are allowed to stay outside US for 12 months meanwhile other green card holders are only able to stay abroad for 6? These 12 months are for certain. I´ve read somewhere that folks have had problems when returning after 8-12 months :confused:

Sorry for all the questions. But we would like this move to go smoothly, and not mess it up. <3
 
We had ours couriered via FedEx and it was no problem. We made sure the package was fully trackable and insured.

You are given a grace period of up to 12 months. What you can do to prove your intention to remain in the States is open a bank account, file your taxes and make sure your ticket when you come back is one way. That way, when you come back next year, the border official can see that you have maintained ties.
 
EmilyW said:
We had ours couriered via FedEx and it was no problem. We made sure the package was fully trackable and insured.

You are given a grace period of up to 12 months. What you can do to prove your intention to remain in the States is open a bank account, file your taxes and make sure your ticket when you come back is one way. That way, when you come back next year, the border official can see that you have maintained ties.
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Thank you very much! We´ll keep that in mind. Looking foward to buy that 1-way ticket, makes it all very real. :D
 
Peter89A said:
Yes, we arrive in dallas, june 30 this summer. We plan to return to usa end of may 2018, so 11 months.
If I´m correct DV-winners are allowed to stay outside US for 12 months meanwhile other green card holders are only able to stay abroad for 6? These 12 months are for certain. I´ve read somewhere that folks have had problems when returning after 8-12 months :confused:

Sorry for all the questions. But we would like this move to go smoothly, and not mess it up. <3
Click to expand...

Once you get a green card, everyone's equal and all rules are the same. Read up on (google, I'm too lazy to right now :D) uscis rights and responsibilities of green card holders. You can stay out the US a maximum of 12 months as a green card holder. If you come back in after 11 months, you can certainly expect some questioning, but you'll be fine - just make sure you can demonstrate that you're really coming back for good (e.g. be coming in on a one way ticket, have your taxes filed, etc).
 
SusieQQQ said:
Once you get a green card, everyone's equal and all rules are the same. Read up on (google, I'm too lazy to right now :D) uscis rights and responsibilities of green card holders. You can stay out the US a maximum of 12 months as a green card holder. If you come back in after 11 months, you can certainly expect some questioning, but you'll be fine - just make sure you can demonstrate that you're really coming back for good (e.g. be coming in on a one way ticket, have your taxes filed, etc).
Click to expand...

Yes, thank you very much! We´ll make sure to have enough evidence that support that we are indeed staying for goodie! :)

I´ve read that one need to keep the green card with you at all times. Is this correct? Or is it enough to have it at home in a safe place? I thought ID was enough (driving license for example) Do people really carry it around in the wallet?
 
Peter89A said:
Yes, thank you very much! We´ll make sure to have enough evidence that support that we are indeed staying for goodie! :)

I´ve read that one need to keep the green card with you at all times. Is this correct? Or is it enough to have it at home in a safe place? I thought ID was enough (driving license for example) Do people really carry it around in the wallet?
Click to expand...

Technically you're supposed to keep it with you, in practice almost no one does (partly because you're $540 out of pocket per card if you need to replace it). If you, um, live in a border area and look like you might get stopped and questioned by ICE then it might be better to keep it on you though. I know some people who carry photocopies of their GCs.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Technically you're supposed to keep it with you, in practice almost no one does (partly because you're $540 out of pocket per card if you need to replace it). If you, um, live in a border area and look like you might get stopped and questioned by ICE then it might be better to keep it on you though. I know some people who carry photocopies of their GCs.
Click to expand...

This was exactly my thought. It´s a hefty amount of money for a lost/stolen card. A photocopy is probably good enough.
Thanks for all the answers <3 No more questions for the time being.
 
Peter89A said:
Greetings. :D

Me and my wife are flying to Dallas, Fort Worth this summer to activate our LPR-status.

How does the process normally look at the airport? should we just ask around for Border and Customs, or do we hade to go somewhere special?
Perhaps they will tell us at check out where to go?
I simply want to hear your experiences when you land :)

Also, might aswell ask another question - Taxes.:rolleyes:

I do know that we are required to file tax reports, even for income outside of USA after we become LPR.
Now, we plan to stay for 3 weeks in Texas for a look around. Then we´ll be flying home. I will finish my university studies and my wife will get back to work.
We plan to do the final move summer 2018, at that time we plan to sell our apartment.

Now for my question : Does anyone of you know if we are required to pay taxes for our apartment and my wifes incom? Her income is around 35.000USD/year. The apartments value is around 90.000USD.
I would like to contact IRS but as I havnt gotten my LPR nor my SSN yet I cannot do that:oops::(
Click to expand...

Just queue on the visitor/foreigner line and when you get to the CBP counter they'll take the envelope and passports and direct you to an inner processing area. It depends on the number of people in the embassy-style area. I was in there for 4 hours down in Houston. Dallas should also have tonnes of people processing in.

For taxes I don't think you pay of you already paid in your home country.
 
Guriix said:
Just queue on the visitor/foreigner line and when you get to the CBP counter they'll take the envelope and passports and direct you to an inner processing area. It depends on the number of people in the embassy-style area. I was in there for 4 hours down in Houston. Dallas should also have tonnes of people processing in.

For taxes I don't think you pay of you already paid in your home country.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the information. We made sure we land in USA with no next flight to catch. Just in case it takes some time to process it :)
 
Peter89A said:
Thank you very much for the information. We made sure we land in USA with no next flight to catch. Just in case it takes some time to process it :)
Click to expand...

You are welcome, people with kids got expedited and that's how I was in there for so long but it's a good idea not to have connecting flights. Remember that's where you sign paperwork to have your SSN sent to you. Confirm the address and ask questions.
 
Make sure you have a working address where you can definitely get mails. Else, change the address at PoE. You would not want to be in my situation (missing GC/MIA). now have to fork out money to request for replacement AND it has to be done while you are in the USA (currently out of USA for now).
 
Peter89A said:
Greetings. :D

Me and my wife are flying to Dallas, Fort Worth this summer to activate our LPR-status.
I would like to contact IRS but as I havnt gotten my LPR nor my SSN yet I cannot do that:oops::(
Click to expand...

We came in Dec 2016 on DV to DFW. It was a real pleasant experience for us ( family of 4). Were asked to go to the queue for non citizens (grey)
The CBP officer took the envelopes, did all the processing and finished in less than 30 minutes and we were good to go.
Nothing like as heard for other airports.

As for the taxes, you will have to file and declare for 2017 returns for whatever income above the limit earned after the day you land here.
For multiple/complex incomes consider consulting a CPA, the money will be worth IMHO.
All the best
 
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