After entering the US with an Immigrant visa

[czhi]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this website and impressed with the amount of info provided here. Thank you very much!

 

Here are my questions: once I (chinese citizen) receive the immigrant visa and enter the US, do I need to stay in the US until the actual card arrives? Or am I free to travel internationally as a green card holder during this period?

 

I need to travel back and forth betweem the US and China and maybe to Japan/Singapore to sort out several things that can be done only in person (such as selling/leasing out the house, dealing with a few bank transactions etc) before I finally move to the US.

 

Thanks!

 

[Randy W]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this website and impressed with the amount of info provided here. Thank you very much!

 

Here are my questions: once I (chinese citizen) receive the immigrant visa and enter the US, do I need to stay in the US until the actual card arrives? Or am I free to travel internationally as a green card holder during this period?

 

I need to travel back and forth betweem the US and China and maybe to Japan/Singapore to sort out several things that can be done only in person (such as selling/leasing out the house, dealing with a few bank transactions etc) before I finally move to the US.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Yes - your green card is active as soon as you are processed at the POE upon your first entry to the U.S., even if you don't yet have the card in your possession. The visa itself is a one-entry visa, however, so you may wish to get an I-551 stamp in your passport. They may do this for you at the POE - if not, I suggest you make an InfoPass appointment to get one before you leave.

 

InfoPass - https://infopass.uscis.gov/

[dnoblett]

The visa will have a notation on it that it will serve as an I-551 "green card" for one year, the POE entry stamp validates this status.

[czhi]

Big thank you to Randy & Dnoblett! This info is very helpful! Now maybe i can quit my job at the very last minute ;-)