The "been there done that" thread: life in the US after DV

[jason6556]

Hi all,

So I have this complicated situation and would appreciate any input on this.

I won the DV2023 with a case number of AS2xxx. Not high for Asia, so the odds are pretty good in my favor so far.

I have just recently learned that my wife is pregnant with our first child. Our due date will be early February, so the odds of getting the green card before then are not bad. Probably a 50/50 at this point by looking at the Visa Bulletin history for the past years and the spreadsheets posted in this forum.

Many of my American friends are encouraging me, with great passion, I might add, to try as hard as possible to give birth in the U.S, citing the difficulty of a future in politics if they are born to immigrants outside the US. I was never interested in politics, but a part of me wants to keep the option open should my child decides to pursue a career in politics.

By the time we are in the US, the due date for my child will be extremely imminent (about a couple of months), and I will probably not have enough time to apply for Medicaid or private insurance through healthcare.gov. I have substantial savings, enough to cover the birth costs and still make it there, but I would obviously prefer for the funds to be put into settling in in our new country instead of starting the journey with an $18K hospital bill right off the bat.

Do fresh immigrants get access to health insurance (private or otherwise) right off the bat, given that I will probably not have a U.S.-based source of income nor a SSN for at least a month or two after arriving in the country?

Giving birth in my country of origin is free, of course, but that might, albeit very remotely, affect my child's future, and I don't want to carry the guilt or the blame.

Any input would be appreciated.

J

 

[21champ]

Hi everyone,

I activated my green card in February.
Now I am back in my home country to sell my home, and transfer the funds to the US to buy a house for us to live in.
Will I get taxed if the amount is below $500 k?

Thank you

 

[SusieQQQ]

Hi all,

So I have this complicated situation and would appreciate any input on this.

I won the DV2023 with a case number of AS2xxx. Not high for Asia, so the odds are pretty good in my favor so far.

I have just recently learned that my wife is pregnant with our first child. Our due date will be early February, so the odds of getting the green card before then are not bad. Probably a 50/50 at this point by looking at the Visa Bulletin history for the past years and the spreadsheets posted in this forum.

Many of my American friends are encouraging me, with great passion, I might add, to try as hard as possible to give birth in the U.S, citing the difficulty of a future in politics if they are born to immigrants outside the US. I was never interested in politics, but a part of me wants to keep the option open should my child decides to pursue a career in politics.

By the time we are in the US, the due date for my child will be extremely imminent (about a couple of months), and I will probably not have enough time to apply for Medicaid or private insurance through healthcare.gov. I have substantial savings, enough to cover the birth costs and still make it there, but I would obviously prefer for the funds to be put into settling in in our new country instead of starting the journey with an $18K hospital bill right off the bat.

Do fresh immigrants get access to health insurance (private or otherwise) right off the bat, given that I will probably not have a U.S.-based source of income nor a SSN for at least a month or two after arriving in the country?

Giving birth in my country of origin is free, of course, but that might, albeit very remotely, affect my child's future, and I don't want to carry the guilt or the blame.

Any input would be appreciated.

J

AFAIK the only political post not open to born US citizens is the presidency (president and VP). With all respect, the chances of your child being a future president are unlikely. It seems odd to me that you are basing some significant financial decisions on this.

Yes you get “access” to health insurance right off the bat, but you understand in the US you pay for this, right? (Medicaid is not available to new immigrants in most states and anyway it is means tested so if you have significant assets you don’t qualify.) If you don’t have employer provided insurance premiums can be pricey, and even if you have insurance deductibles can be high. And if there are any complications to the birth, it can go way beyond $18k, also depending what state you end up in. Then, of course it is not just the financial cost, but the family help with a newborn you’ll be forgoing- not an impossible task of course, many have done that, but it is an emotional and sometimes financial cost too. If you feel all that is worth it because your child might be president one day - go ahead.

 

[SusieQQQ]

Hi everyone,

I activated my green card in February.
Now I am back in my home country to sell my home, and transfer the funds to the US to buy a house for us to live in.
Will I get taxed if the amount is below $500 k?

Thank you

Are you asking about capital gains tax on the house or about the transfer of funds?
There is no tax to move your own money into the US.
As you are already a green card holder you’d theoretically be liable for capital gains tax, but it sounds like you’d be below the threshold (the gain needs to be $500k per married couple before it’s taxed, this sounds like it will be your total proceeds)

 

[jason6556]

AFAIK the only political post not open to born US citizens is the presidency (president and VP). With all respect, the chances of your child being a future president are unlikely. It seems odd to me that you are basing some significant financial decisions on this.

Yes you get “access” to health insurance right off the bat, but you understand in the US you pay for this, right? (Medicaid is not available to new immigrants in most states and anyway it is means tested so if you have significant assets you don’t qualify.) If you don’t have employer provided insurance premiums can be pricey, and even if you have insurance deductibles can be high. And if there are any complications to the birth, it can go way beyond $18k, also depending what state you end up in. Then, of course it is not just the financial cost, but the family help with a newborn you’ll be forgoing- not an impossible task of course, many have done that, but it is an emotional and sometimes financial cost too. If you feel all that is worth it because your child might be president one day - go ahead.

While it is true that the presidency is the only area out of the bounds of foreign-born immigrants, in practice, loyalty to the US is almost always the first thing that will be questioned when a candidate for any public office is foreign-born to immigrant parents. The public assumes the burden of proof to be on the foreign-born candidate. On the other hand, a US-born candidate for any public office is automatically deemed to be loyal unless proven otherwise. This is what I observed being an outsider. It does not mean that this is right or that this is how things should be, but unfortunately, this might be the reality of things, at least in our lifetime.

I'm also not saying that if you are good with the right connections, you will not make it (for example, former Secretary Madeleine Albright). Still, the path to a public position will be much easier to attain if you had simply avoided the "complication" of being born abroad. Even Americans born to US parents abroad faced scrutiny. Even though he was born American, Senator Ted Cruz had a tough time running for president. I'd imagine his senate seat was not easy either.

Imagine, for instance, that a candidate with, say, a Chinese, Russian or Middle-Eastern sounding last name runs for a political office. If I were an American, the first question that would come to mind would be, were they born in China, Russia or the Middle East. If they were, the second question would be, is he still loyal to the "motherland."

I hope you see where I am going with this.

I don't mind paying for the privilege of being a parent of a US-born citizen. I'm just looking for ways to save, so to speak, in my unique circumstance.

 

[SusieQQQ]

While it is true that the presidency is the only area out of the bounds of foreign-born immigrants, in practice, loyalty to the US is almost always the first thing that will be questioned when a candidate for any public office is foreign-born to immigrant parents. The public assumes the burden of proof to be on the foreign-born candidate. On the other hand, a US-born candidate for any public office is automatically deemed to be loyal unless proven otherwise. This is what I observed being an outsider. It does not mean that this is right or that this is how things should be, but unfortunately, this might be the reality of things, at least in our lifetime.

I'm also not saying that if you are good with the right connections, you will not make it (for example, former Secretary Madeleine Albright). Still, the path to a public position will be much easier to attain if you had simply avoided the "complication" of being born abroad. Even Americans born to US parents abroad faced scrutiny. Even though he was born American, Senator Ted Cruz had a tough time running for president. I'd imagine his senate seat was not easy either.

Imagine, for instance, that a candidate with, say, a Chinese, Russian or Middle-Eastern sounding last name runs for a political office. If I were an American, the first question that would come to mind would be, were they born in China, Russia or the Middle East. If they were, the second question would be, is he still loyal to the "motherland."

I hope you see where I am going with this.

I don't mind paying for the privilege of being a parent of a US-born citizen. I'm just looking for ways to save, so to speak, in my unique circumstance.

i think actual elected representatives prove many of your points wrong (and a hearty laugh if you really think place of birth was the issue for Cruz’s presidential ambitions) but, your money (as in, not medicaid), your choice.

 

[Syd2022]

Hi everyone,

I activated my green card in February.
Now I am back in my home country to sell my home, and transfer the funds to the US to buy a house for us to live in.
Will I get taxed if the amount is below $500 k?

Thank you

If you were previously a resident of Australia, then you will be up for CGT in Australia, as you will now be classified as a foreign resident. You will not be up fro CGT IN THE USA though.

 

[Fr4n322]

I was able to open a BoA account with just the visa in my passport. Have you received your SSN yet? The card this is attached to has your name and address. How about a phone account?

Hey! Not too sure if Aidyn is still monitoring notifications on this thread, but if anyone else could advise I'd appreciate it.

I plan on activating my Visa at the start of September and will be arriving in DC. I plan on travelling initially then I will be staying with friends (US citizens) until I get on my feet etc.

1. In relation to opening a bank, I want to do this within the first few days. For Bank of America for example, has anyone with LPR status recently opened a bank account and if so, did you encounter any issues/what documents did they request? (Just incase anything has changed in their policy from Aidyn's reply above).

I won't have a rental agreement or anything in that nature due to staying with friends, however from previously working in the US - I do have a SSN already, however still needs updated/replaced.

2. Do you have to open an account at your local branch at where you intend to be staying/living? Or can you open it anywhere within that same state? For example, open an account in Charlotte, North Carolina but will be then living in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Thanks!

 

[French_Ellie]

Hey! Not too sure if Aidyn is still monitoring notifications on this thread, but if anyone else could advise I'd appreciate it.

I plan on activating my Visa at the start of September and will be arriving in DC. I plan on travelling initially then I will be staying with friends (US citizens) until I get on my feet etc.

1. In relation to opening a bank, I want to do this within the first few days. For Bank of America for example, has anyone with LPR status recently opened a bank account and if so, did you encounter any issues/what documents did they request? (Just incase anything has changed in their policy from Aidyn's reply above).

I won't have a rental agreement or anything in that nature due to staying with friends, however from previously working in the US - I do have a SSN already, however still needs updated/replaced.

2. Do you have to open an account at your local branch at where you intend to be staying/living? Or can you open it anywhere within that same state? For example, open an account in Charlotte, North Carolina but will be then living in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Thanks!

1- I opened a bank account just a few days after I arrived, and all they asked me for was my ID (passport or driver’s licence), my stamped visa (acting as temporary green card) and my Social Security Number (like you I had an SSN from a previous visit but hadn’t updated my status yet at the SS office). They didn’t ask for any proof of address, and I just gave a friend’s address.

2- I can’t help you with this question, as I opened my account directly where I planned to live.

 

[SusieQQQ]

2. Do you have to open an account at your local branch at where you intend to be staying/living? Or can you open it anywhere within that same state? For example, open an account in Charlotte, North Carolina but will be then living in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Thanks!

if it’s a state or regional bank they may (or may not) have some practical limitatione. If it’s a national bank, no. We are with Chase and still have the New York branch where we opened listed as our branch even though we live in California and have an assigned banker at a local branch.

 

[BrisOC22]

1. In relation to opening a bank, I want to do this within the first few days. For Bank of America for example, has anyone with LPR status recently opened a bank account and if so, did you encounter any issues/what documents did they request? (Just incase anything has changed in their policy from Aidyn's reply above).

I won't have a rental agreement or anything in that nature due to staying with friends, however from previously working in the US - I do have a SSN already, however still needs updated/replaced.

Documents/proof required will also vary bank to bank, when I opened my bank account with Chase in Los Angeles they required proof of address (some sort of bill with your US address on it etc), so I wasn't able to open one until I got some kind of bill in the mail after about a month. I've heard Bank of America is very lax though and a bunch of people have been able to open one with them very easily.

 

[Fr4n322]

Thanks a lot guys. I appreciate it!!

I’ll be sure to update on how it goes. I’m sure I’ll be grand.

 

[xyzuka]

Hi all,

It’s been two weeks since I’ve arrived in the States. So far I’ve set up my bank account and received my SSN, but I‘m having trouble getting my documents verified online while applying for my driver’s license and Real ID (I moved to California). The DMV website has rejected the photocopy of my visa and the stamp received at the airport for the section where I need to provide “Processed for I-551” Stamp”, is this I-551 something completely different I need to get processed while in the States? I’ve also paid for the USCIS fee that was mentioned before coming here.

Also, while I don’t have my GC yet - what documents do employers usually check to see if I have working rights in the U.S?

Thanks!

 

[SusieQQQ]

Hi all,

It’s been two weeks since I’ve arrived in the States. So far I’ve set up my bank account and received my SSN, but I‘m having trouble getting my documents verified online while applying for my driver’s license and Real ID (I moved to California). The DMV website has rejected the photocopy of my visa and the stamp received at the airport for the section where I need to provide “Processed for I-551” Stamp”, is this I-551 something completely different I need to get processed while in the States? I’ve also paid for the USCIS fee that was mentioned before coming here.

Also, while I don’t have my GC yet - what documents do employers usually check to see if I have working rights in the U.S?

Thanks!

Employers will file I9 for employment verification- documents for this includes your stamped visa, see the last pic on list A here https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

As for the dmv, honestly I’d suggest you just go into a DMV office and get the docs verified in person. (i think it is a different stamp you’re describing, not one that you’d get as a new immigrant but issued in other circumstances) Being able to talk to an actual person may help.

 

[French_Ellie]

Hi all,

It’s been two weeks since I’ve arrived in the States. So far I’ve set up my bank account and received my SSN, but I‘m having trouble getting my documents verified online while applying for my driver’s license and Real ID (I moved to California). The DMV website has rejected the photocopy of my visa and the stamp received at the airport for the section where I need to provide “Processed for I-551” Stamp”, is this I-551 something completely different I need to get processed while in the States? I’ve also paid for the USCIS fee that was mentioned before coming here.

Also, while I don’t have my GC yet - what documents do employers usually check to see if I have working rights in the U.S?

Thanks!

For work, my employer just looked at my stamped visa in my passport and took note of my alien number and my social security number.

As for the driver’s license, in Kentucky, I went to the regional driver’s licence office in person with my stamped passport, my social security card, my French driver’s licence and a proof of address. That was enough to get my KY driver’s licence and real ID. They did not require my physical green card and said as long as I had my social security card, the temporary I-551 (stamped visa in the passport) was enough.

 

[xyzuka]

For work, my employer just looked at my stamped visa in my passport and took note of my alien number and my social security number.

As for the driver’s license, in Kentucky, I went to the regional driver’s licence office in person with my stamped passport, my social security card, my French driver’s licence and a proof of address. That was enough to get my KY driver’s licence and real ID. They did not require my physical green card and said as long as I had my social security card, the temporary I-551 (stamped visa in the passport) was enough.

Employers will file I9 for employment verification- documents for this includes your stamped visa, see the last pic on list A here https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

As for the dmv, honestly I’d suggest you just go into a DMV office and get the docs verified in person. (i think it is a different stamp you’re describing, not one that you’d get as a new immigrant but issued in other circumstances) Being able to talk to an actual person may help.

Okay going in person worked, thanks a lot!

 

[xyzuka]

Hi all,

Has anyone received a form from their banks called a W8BEN? I was reading the form and it said it was for non US residents or am I mistaken? I tried reading the IRS website but it’s description seems convoluted

I did open my bank account when I did not have my green card so I think this may be the case

Not entirely sure what should I do with this form

 

[SusieQQQ]

Hi all,

Has anyone received a form from their banks called a W8BEN? I was reading the form and it said it was for non US residents or am I mistaken? I tried reading the IRS website but it’s description seems convoluted

I did open my bank account when I did not have my green card so I think this may be the case

Not entirely sure what should I do with this form

The form is a IRS form that specifically tells you not to use it if you are a resident alien (= green card holder) Is the bank expecting it back? The w8ben form says you should use a W9 instead if that’s the case.

 

[Xarthisius]

Has anyone received a form from their banks called a W8BEN? I was reading the form and it said it was for non US residents or am I mistaken? I tried reading the IRS website but it’s description seems convoluted

I did open my bank account when I did not have my green card so I think this may be the case

Not entirely sure what should I do with this form

I've been in the same situation. Ignore that form, visit your nearest bank branch and show them your GC. They should file W9 on the spot.

 

[dazza2104]

Is it normal to get an entry stamp at the port of entry when entering with a green card? It’s marked as “ABC” from what I can see with a row of numbers underneath.

EDIT: I had a dig around google and it seems like it says “ARC” for alien registration card.