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Green Card Activation Trip

G

Grand

New Member
Hello Everyone,

Our Visas have been approved last week at the embassy. We are now waiting for our passeport. I have few questions regarding our situation :

My wife is pregnant and "Baby" is excepted in August. We have until October 11st to go to the US.

For medical reasons, we want my wife to give birth in France and to stay here for few months after. Going in the US in october seems to be too soon for us. Simon, I red many of your Posts but few questions remains :

1) Our solution would be to travel to the US next month (in May) so we can have our visas endorsed and then come back directly in France for 8 or 10 months (Simon says it is possible). BUT is there a limitation date on this POE "stamp" ? How long is it ?

Simon, you say that after the 1st "activation trip", we can come back in our country for up to one year. But what if the "stamp" duration is limited (only 6 months for example) ?
In this case, no point for us to already go to the US next month because we then will only have until November to come back (which is again too soon for baby and my wife).

2) Is there formalities to do before leaving the US (on top of that "stamp" in the POE), so we can be sure that it will be easy to re-enter (because we won't have with us our formal green card) ?

3) In this scenario, do you have an advice about our green cards ? They should be sent to the US address after our "activation trip". But if we come back only 10 months after, should we ask our friend in the US adresse to keep them ?

4) If the address in the DS260 is in California, do you see a problem if we go in Florida for the "short activation trip" and not in Cali ?

As always, any insight will be appreciate :)
Thanks again !
 
1. The visa upon endorsement is always valid for one from the endorsement date - there's no but, what if, maybe, or any other thing to it. It is valid for one year upon endorsement.

2. Establish residency by opening a bank account, visit your local DMV and apply for a state issued ID card. Wait to receive your SSN. If you think there's a slight chance of staying back beyond a year, apply for a re-entry permit before returning to your home country.

3. Not something I would recommend, but others have done this.

4. Not a problem.
 
What mom said, though:
Re 2 - all states have their own rules but in some you can't get a DL or state ID without proof of address, which might not be possible on an activation trip
Re 3 - personally especially for that long an absence I would get the green cards couriered over (but never sent normal mail). If the cards get lost, you arrive after 10 months and then discover that, it will take you months to get them replaced (just because the process is that slow), that takes you beyond your one year proof of residence in the passport and ...then you have no valid proof of your permanent residency (right to work etc) until the replacements arrive.
 
Good answers above (of course!) but also be aware of airline rules on flying during pregnancy. Flying after around 28 weeks sometimes requires a doctors letter. Of course - some women are barely showing at that point so you might be able to board without questions about pregnancy. So - depending on your August delivery date, book an early trip to avoid problems.
 
Hey BritSimon, Hey SusieQQQ,

Thanks a lot for your answers.

1) Copy that, great news !

3) SusieQQQ : What do you mean by "I would get the green cards couriered over" ? Would you suggest that my friend sent GC to us in France or bring its to us (he will maybe come here) ? That would be, indeed, the best for us.
And maybe it could reduce the paper work during this short 1st trip ? We were thinking about Florida for the 2 or 3 first years. California is where I would love to go but Taxes are pretty high ^^.

Ok Simon thanks for the tip. We've already asked the Doctor for a letter. We don't know exactly the delivery date.
 
make sure your friend is always at the address - there are issues where USPS claimed the GC had been sent over but no one at the address received anything. Losing the GC is a big deal and will cost you lots of money and time to replace.
 
abumiqdad said:
make sure your friend is always at the address - there are issues where USPS claimed the GC had been sent over but no one at the address received anything. Losing the GC is a big deal and will cost you lots of money and time to replace.
Click to expand...

Makes no difference if the friend is home or not. The envelope is simply going to be dropped in the mail box.
 
Sm1smom said:
Makes no difference if the friend is home or not. The envelope is simply going to be dropped in the mail box.
Click to expand...

That is true, but if the friend is not at home (or no one is) and then there is a dispute as to whether the GC has been received or not, it will make the case stronger if one can confirm that the envelope had not been delivered and USPS screwed things up.
 
Grand said:
Hey BritSimon, Hey SusieQQQ,

Thanks a lot for your answers.

1) Copy that, great news !

3) SusieQQQ : What do you mean by "I would get the green cards couriered over" ? Would you suggest that my friend sent GC to us in France or bring its to us (he will maybe come here) ? That would be, indeed, the best for us.
And maybe it could reduce the paper work during this short 1st trip ? We were thinking about Florida for the 2 or 3 first years. California is where I would love to go but Taxes are pretty high ^^.

Ok Simon thanks for the tip. We've already asked the Doctor for a letter. We don't know exactly the delivery date.
Click to expand...

Courier. UPS, FedEx, DHL. Not sure how any of this reduces paperwork though?
 
SusieQQQ said:
Courier. UPS, FedEx, DHL. Not sure how any of this reduces paperwork though?
Click to expand...

I thought that "paperwork" (opening a bank account, visit your local DMV and apply for a state issued ID card) was suggest by Simon in order to be able to re-enter easily after 10 months, without our GC.

But if we do have in hands our GC when we go back, does it change anything ?
I'm aware of the fact that having those things done is a better proof of our intention to live in the US. But if we come back with our GC, it is for sure (at least in our mind and intention ^^) to establish residency there.
 
Grand said:
I thought that "paperwork" (opening a bank account, visit your local DMV and apply for a state issued ID card) was suggest by Simon in order to be able to re-enter easily after 10 months, without our GC.

But if we do have in hands our GC when we go back, does it change anything ?
I'm aware of the fact that having those things done is a better proof of our intention to live in the US. But if we come back with our GC, it is for sure (at least in our mind and intention ^^) to establish residency there.
Click to expand...

You're confusing having a plastic green card with being able to establish residency. All the above are suggestions irrespective of whether or not you have the plastic green card with you or just the temporary one in your passport when you return (your stamped immigrant visa becomes a one year green card after you enter using that visa).So you will have a green card when you re-enter, irrespective.
 
And to go further in our investigation :

1) How do you do start to establish residency when you don't know yet in which state you're going to live ? Would have any advice ?
Our idea was to spend the first months traveling around between 4 or 5 states to "choose" a state. So what could we do ?

2) For example, is every bank related to an particular state ? Or it would be possible to open an "online account" in a US bank, no matter in which state you'll live ?

3) Among Bank account, ID Card, DMV, which one would be the priority. Because of the pregnancy of my wife, we don't know yet how long we will be able to stay. We'll go with an open flight ticket but if formalities take time...
 
Grand said:
And to go further in our investigation :

1) How do you do start to establish residency when you don't know yet in which state you're going to live ? Would have any advice ?
Our idea was to spend the first months traveling around between 4 or 5 states to "choose" a state. So what could we do ?

2) For example, is every bank related to an particular state ? Or it would be possible to open an "online account" in a US bank, no matter in which state you'll live ?

3) Among Bank account, ID Card, DMV, which one would be the priority. Because of the pregnancy of my wife, we don't know yet how long we will be able to stay. We'll go with an open flight ticket but if formalities take time...
Click to expand...

Driving test in some states requires you to have the learner's permit for a period of time. Do some research on which state you want to get the license from. You can drive using your foreign license for a period of up to 90 days. Again this varies by state. For banks get a credit card with any bank. For checking account it might be tricky to get one that is nationwide. ID might be easier to get than a license.

BA is stricter on how many weeks the pregnancy is. Delta/Air France is better. My wife was able to travel at 30 weeks last year.
 
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