So you (and possibly your spouse and kids) have had your I-485's approved. Congratulations on becoming Permanent Residents!
But now what?
What's the next step?
You need to make an appointment to get your passport stamped through INFOPASS at https://infopass.uscis.gov/infopass.php.
DO THIS ON A PC WITH A PRINTER ATTACHED. YOU WILL NEED TO PRINT OUT THE ONLINE INFORMATION SO IT CAN BE GIVEN TO THE OFFICER AT THE SERVICE CENTER. YOU WON'T BE ADMITTED FOR STAMPING WITHOUT THIS!
You will also need the Identification Number for the appointment if you need to cancel it later on. This number appears near the bottom of the printout.
The zip code that you specify will determine the service center that you are directed to (as I understand it, you can make an INFOPASS appointment for any location although some have reported needing to show ID that proves they live in that area).
Select the option which says
Apparently, many centers now refuse to accept walk-ins (people without an appointment) so I wouldn't chance that.
It might be possible to make an appointment over the phone – I’m not sure.
How many appointments do I need? Can I do just one for my entire family?
You need a separate appointment for every family member who is being stamped. If you don’t have these you *might* be admitted (or not) but at most centers you will have to wait hours until the people who actually have appointments are cleared.
When should I make the appointment?
Since you need them, it’s “safest” to wait until you get the approval notice(s) in the mail. But, since these usually arrive within 1-2 weeks of the actual approval date, you can take a chance and make an appointment for, say, 2 weeks from the approval date. If you don't get the approvals by then, you can cancel the appointment and reschedule.
This probably varies a lot, but typically, appointments are available for dates which are about 1-2 weeks away.
What if I need to travel before I can attend an INFOPASS appointment?
Apparently, if you absolutely need to travel outside of the US before it will be possible to obtain / attend an INFOPASS appointment, you might be able to get stamped by showing them your travel information (e.g. airplane ticket). I can't confirm this but I believe some people have done this.
Note that traveling prior to getting stamped is somewhat risky as, at the time of your approval, any AP that you have or H / L status etc. is immediately invalidated. That said, I've contacted a couple of lawyers about this (including murthy through one of their chat sessions) and they feel that the risk of having problems is actually pretty low. They feel that either they wouldn’t check / notice that you are approved or, if they did notice, that they could parole you into the US at their discretion to complete your I-551 process. Personally, I would do everything possible to get stamped before leaving.
Also, note that if you are *outside* the US at the time of the approval there should *definitely* be no problem getting back in if you had valid AP / H / L *before* you left.
I can't get an INFOPASS appointment -- it keeps saying that there are no appointments available at this time. What do I do?
Keep trying...
Some people have suggested trying during "off-peak" hours:
+late evenings / early mornings
+just past midnight
+between 5pm and 6pm (this is when I finally got through)
If you are doing more than one appointment (per the above, you need separate appointments for every family member who needs stamping), you may need to wait 30+ minutes before the system will accept additional appointments. Or, you can do this from a computer with a different IP...
According to another post:
You need to bring 2 passport-style (front facing) photos. It's possible that your approval notice will direct you to bring the old ADIT style (side facing) photos -- ignore that, ADIT style photos are now obsolete.
You will need photos for you, your spouse and any kids who are old enough (>14?) to require stamping (see below).
It will speed things up a bit if you take a pencil and lightly write each person’s name and alien number (A#) on the back of each of the photos.
What else do I need to bring?
You should bring all of the following:
+your mailed approval notice (I-797C)
+your INFOPASS appointment printout
+H / L visa w. I-94’s
+EAD
+AP
+your passport
+2 passport style photos per person getting stamped (see above)
+ID (e.g. drivers license)
Some have been told that you don’t really need to bring the H / L visa / EAD / AP. Personally, if there's anything else that you think they might possibly want -- why not bring it just in case? It would be pretty annoying to have to get another appointment because you left some form at home…
Can I get stamped with just a printout of the online approval notice?
No. You generally need the I-797C (your mailed approval notice) to be stamped.
What about my kids -- do they need to be stamped?
It depends. Kids who are less than about 12 years old (maybe 14) don't *need* to be stamped / fingerprinted and they should receive their green card automatically. They apparently use the photos from the I-485 application (which probably used the old ADIT style in many cases fwiw) and there won't be any fingerprint on the card (not needed apparently). You *can* have the kids stamped if you want, e.g. if they need to travel before the physical cards arrive. In that case, make an appointment for the kids and get their passport stamped (you *need* to do this for older kids and for them you'll need to bring passport-style photos and they'll be fingerprinted like you [and your spouse]).
In our case, the status for my kids' cases changed to "Card Ordered" the day after we were approved. I expect we'll have their cards before my wife and I even get stamped.
What if my passport is close to expiring?
They will stamp your passport only if the passport is valid for at least a year from the stamping date.
Otherwise, you will need to bring an additional passport-style photo with you (for a total of 3). The officer at the Service Center will create a temporary card using an I-94 form, affix the additional photo to it, and stamp the card. This is equivalent to the stamping that they usually do in the passport and it is valid for a year. Should you renew your passport (through your country or your country's consulate) you will not need get re-stamped.
What if the stamp expires before I receive the card?
This is unlikely to happen since many people are getting their cards within 2-4 weeks of stamping and stamps last for 1 year.
However, if your stamp does expire before you receive the physical card, you have to follow the same steps and get your stamping renewed on your passport (if you want to maintain proof of your PR status).
What is this stamp anyway?
The I-551 (ADIT) stamp in your passport is temporary proof that you can use to show that you are a permanent resident until your physical card (the green card) arrives. You can use this to travel outside of the US for example.
It's good for 1 year.
Do I really need to get stamped?
Yes (with the exception of minor children as mentioned above). At the time of the stamping you supply the USCIS with the passport style photos and fingerprints which are needed to complete the manufacture of the plastic card.
How long does it take for the card to show up after stamping?
It varies. I've seen some people get them in < 2 weeks. Others have had to wait for several months. This is rare from what I can tell, but occasionally, you may need to ask them to re-order the card if it doesn't show up after 3+ months or so…
Note that if you have set up an online portfolio at the USCIS, the status for your I-485 case will probably change to "Card Ordered" at some point after getting the stamp done (and you will receive emails if you have that set up). I'm not sure if that is always the case though.
What about my SSN card?
Unless you have an older SSN card, it will probably have something like "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION." stamped on it. As a PR, this no longer applies to you and you will probably want to get a new card at some point. You can do this at any SSN office as far as I know and you can do this whenever you want. Some of these offices might be located near the service center where you are being stamped, so it might be convenient to do this right after getting the stamp. You just need to show them your I-551 stamp (or your green card if you have that). They'll take your card and send you a new, unrestricted one (with the same SSN) about 2 weeks later.
To find the nearest SSN office to your location (based on your zip) try this link: http://www.ssa.gov/replace_sscard.html.
Thanks to everyone who provided information for this FAQ!
ETA
But now what?
What's the next step?
You need to make an appointment to get your passport stamped through INFOPASS at https://infopass.uscis.gov/infopass.php.
DO THIS ON A PC WITH A PRINTER ATTACHED. YOU WILL NEED TO PRINT OUT THE ONLINE INFORMATION SO IT CAN BE GIVEN TO THE OFFICER AT THE SERVICE CENTER. YOU WON'T BE ADMITTED FOR STAMPING WITHOUT THIS!
You will also need the Identification Number for the appointment if you need to cancel it later on. This number appears near the bottom of the printout.
The zip code that you specify will determine the service center that you are directed to (as I understand it, you can make an INFOPASS appointment for any location although some have reported needing to show ID that proves they live in that area).
Select the option which says
Don't use the other options. Otherwise you could end up with an appointment on a day when the office doesn't do passport stamping.
Apparently, many centers now refuse to accept walk-ins (people without an appointment) so I wouldn't chance that.
It might be possible to make an appointment over the phone – I’m not sure.
How many appointments do I need? Can I do just one for my entire family?
You need a separate appointment for every family member who is being stamped. If you don’t have these you *might* be admitted (or not) but at most centers you will have to wait hours until the people who actually have appointments are cleared.
When should I make the appointment?
Since you need them, it’s “safest” to wait until you get the approval notice(s) in the mail. But, since these usually arrive within 1-2 weeks of the actual approval date, you can take a chance and make an appointment for, say, 2 weeks from the approval date. If you don't get the approvals by then, you can cancel the appointment and reschedule.
This probably varies a lot, but typically, appointments are available for dates which are about 1-2 weeks away.
What if I need to travel before I can attend an INFOPASS appointment?
Apparently, if you absolutely need to travel outside of the US before it will be possible to obtain / attend an INFOPASS appointment, you might be able to get stamped by showing them your travel information (e.g. airplane ticket). I can't confirm this but I believe some people have done this.
Note that traveling prior to getting stamped is somewhat risky as, at the time of your approval, any AP that you have or H / L status etc. is immediately invalidated. That said, I've contacted a couple of lawyers about this (including murthy through one of their chat sessions) and they feel that the risk of having problems is actually pretty low. They feel that either they wouldn’t check / notice that you are approved or, if they did notice, that they could parole you into the US at their discretion to complete your I-551 process. Personally, I would do everything possible to get stamped before leaving.
Also, note that if you are *outside* the US at the time of the approval there should *definitely* be no problem getting back in if you had valid AP / H / L *before* you left.
I can't get an INFOPASS appointment -- it keeps saying that there are no appointments available at this time. What do I do?
Keep trying...
Some people have suggested trying during "off-peak" hours:
+late evenings / early mornings
+just past midnight
+between 5pm and 6pm (this is when I finally got through)
If you are doing more than one appointment (per the above, you need separate appointments for every family member who needs stamping), you may need to wait 30+ minutes before the system will accept additional appointments. Or, you can do this from a computer with a different IP...
According to another post:
What kind of photos do I need?
You need to bring 2 passport-style (front facing) photos. It's possible that your approval notice will direct you to bring the old ADIT style (side facing) photos -- ignore that, ADIT style photos are now obsolete.
You will need photos for you, your spouse and any kids who are old enough (>14?) to require stamping (see below).
It will speed things up a bit if you take a pencil and lightly write each person’s name and alien number (A#) on the back of each of the photos.
What else do I need to bring?
You should bring all of the following:
+your mailed approval notice (I-797C)
+your INFOPASS appointment printout
+H / L visa w. I-94’s
+EAD
+AP
+your passport
+2 passport style photos per person getting stamped (see above)
+ID (e.g. drivers license)
Some have been told that you don’t really need to bring the H / L visa / EAD / AP. Personally, if there's anything else that you think they might possibly want -- why not bring it just in case? It would be pretty annoying to have to get another appointment because you left some form at home…
Can I get stamped with just a printout of the online approval notice?
No. You generally need the I-797C (your mailed approval notice) to be stamped.
What about my kids -- do they need to be stamped?
It depends. Kids who are less than about 12 years old (maybe 14) don't *need* to be stamped / fingerprinted and they should receive their green card automatically. They apparently use the photos from the I-485 application (which probably used the old ADIT style in many cases fwiw) and there won't be any fingerprint on the card (not needed apparently). You *can* have the kids stamped if you want, e.g. if they need to travel before the physical cards arrive. In that case, make an appointment for the kids and get their passport stamped (you *need* to do this for older kids and for them you'll need to bring passport-style photos and they'll be fingerprinted like you [and your spouse]).
In our case, the status for my kids' cases changed to "Card Ordered" the day after we were approved. I expect we'll have their cards before my wife and I even get stamped.
What if my passport is close to expiring?
They will stamp your passport only if the passport is valid for at least a year from the stamping date.
Otherwise, you will need to bring an additional passport-style photo with you (for a total of 3). The officer at the Service Center will create a temporary card using an I-94 form, affix the additional photo to it, and stamp the card. This is equivalent to the stamping that they usually do in the passport and it is valid for a year. Should you renew your passport (through your country or your country's consulate) you will not need get re-stamped.
What if the stamp expires before I receive the card?
This is unlikely to happen since many people are getting their cards within 2-4 weeks of stamping and stamps last for 1 year.
However, if your stamp does expire before you receive the physical card, you have to follow the same steps and get your stamping renewed on your passport (if you want to maintain proof of your PR status).
What is this stamp anyway?
The I-551 (ADIT) stamp in your passport is temporary proof that you can use to show that you are a permanent resident until your physical card (the green card) arrives. You can use this to travel outside of the US for example.
It's good for 1 year.
Do I really need to get stamped?
Yes (with the exception of minor children as mentioned above). At the time of the stamping you supply the USCIS with the passport style photos and fingerprints which are needed to complete the manufacture of the plastic card.
How long does it take for the card to show up after stamping?
It varies. I've seen some people get them in < 2 weeks. Others have had to wait for several months. This is rare from what I can tell, but occasionally, you may need to ask them to re-order the card if it doesn't show up after 3+ months or so…
Note that if you have set up an online portfolio at the USCIS, the status for your I-485 case will probably change to "Card Ordered" at some point after getting the stamp done (and you will receive emails if you have that set up). I'm not sure if that is always the case though.
What about my SSN card?
Unless you have an older SSN card, it will probably have something like "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION." stamped on it. As a PR, this no longer applies to you and you will probably want to get a new card at some point. You can do this at any SSN office as far as I know and you can do this whenever you want. Some of these offices might be located near the service center where you are being stamped, so it might be convenient to do this right after getting the stamp. You just need to show them your I-551 stamp (or your green card if you have that). They'll take your card and send you a new, unrestricted one (with the same SSN) about 2 weeks later.
To find the nearest SSN office to your location (based on your zip) try this link: http://www.ssa.gov/replace_sscard.html.
Thanks to everyone who provided information for this FAQ!
ETA
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