Whats next after immigrant visa?

M

Mikaal

New Member
I have been approved for immigration visa from the embassy in Islamabad. This was IR-1 category, my passport will be returned in a week. Can anyone tell me where to get information on whats is next in course of getting GC?
what do i have to do after i get my passport?
what forms do I need to fill and what will happen at POE?
when do i apply for physical GC and which form is that?
when will I apply for Social Security and forms required to submit
Thank you
 
Mikaal said:
I have been approved for immigration visa from the embassy in Islamabad. This was IR-1 category, my passport will be returned in a week. Can anyone tell me where to get information on whats is next in course of getting GC?
what do i have to do after i get my passport?
what forms do I need to fill and what will happen at POE?
when do i apply for physical GC and which form is that?
when will I apply for Social Security and forms required to submit
Thank you
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When you collect your passport, you'll be given a sealed envelope and a bunch of instructions what to do next. Basically you have 6 months to get on a plane and fly to the US, and once you arrive, you'll be sent to secondary inspection at the port of entry (PoE). The officer will take the envelope, check everything through, and stamp your DS-230 with the entry date. From this point on, the stamped DS-230 visa becomes a 1yr temporary I-551 (GC), and you can expect to receive the real card by post in about 2 months.

You can use the temporary I-551 to apply for your social security number, drivers license, and whether else you need.
 
Second review at POE

Thanks for the info regarding travel to POE for immigration. Can you tell what are the documents in that sealed envelop?
What is Second inspection at POE? What kind of questions will i be asked, what is the SCOPE of this second inspection?, Do you think, entry will be subject to this second interview? (Infact I have not been asked anything at my visa interview, except my son's age).
Is(are) there any form(s) that i will have to fill at the POE? If yes, what are those?
Isn't it I-94 that will be stamped "I-551 in Process" instead of DS-230, or it could be any of two.
Do I need to provide proof of items of personal effect with CBP Form 3299 - Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles?
 
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"Secondary Inspection" is a special room off to the side of the immigration hall where people are sent when the primary inspector determines he cannot stamp a passport and admit the person.

In this instance, its really nothing to worry about. The inspector will take your fingerprints, consult the documents in the envelope (medical report, copies of the DS-230 application etc), and then validates the DS-230 in your passport, turning it into a temporary I-551. I can't recall exactly what my mom went through, but I think the only form she had to fill at that time was her US address (where to send the GC), and the regular customs declaration.

From that point on you become a permanent resident, and thus no longer receive an I-94 (or have to fill out the white immigration card) when arriving in the US.

CBP Form 3299 is one of the things that you'll have to deal with when having your personal effects shipped. The shipping agent should be able to walk you through those forms.
 
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