Just got my passport back today with the US visa inside, man what a wait it has been.
Between the london consulate loosing my first I-130 app and having to chase them almost every step of the way, it has taken 11 months to get to this.

So clear up everything at home, book my flight and off i go

Question? On the Visa in the passport it states in small print at the bottom
"UPON ENDORSMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCENCING PERMANMENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR"

What do they mean by this?
The I-551 is the green card application Form i belive.
The letter i got with my pack tells me that i will have to fill this out at the USA immigration office when i land in the US! Is this correct?

How long will it take for me to obtain a green card so i can work?

Any advise what i will be in for when i get to the US immigration would be helpfully as well.

Thanks to all who replied to my previous posts, it is so good to have advise from someone that has been through it all and someone that is not going to to tell you the "party line" as it were.

Thanks again.

You received an immigrant visa, congratulations! The phrase above means that when you get to the POE, the officer there will endorse the visa in your passport so that it acts as a temporary I-551 (green card). It will be valid for 1 year, while you wait for the plastic I-551 card to come in the mail. It won't take a year to come to you, it should only take a month or so.

No, the I-551 is the numeric name of the actual green card.

No, there is nothing for you to fill out at the POE.

As long as it takes the officer at the POE to endorse your immigrant visa with the temp I-551. About 5 minutes, maybe? Probably less.

You might not realize it, but you will become a US PR as soon as you pass the POE. You will have full rights to work and live in the USA right away.

Rene

I love your help Rene, so grateful to have ppl like you on here to help us noobs out.

Awww, you're welcome. Just my way of paying back all the wonderful help I got here over the years during our process.

Rene

Man i cant belive the speed that the reply came back

Yes thanks so much for the explanation very helpfully and for your previous help.

Congrats--it's a great feeling to have it done with!

Congratulations!

My version of the long answer to your question (and more you didn't know you have!) is in this wiki entry:

Immigrant Visa Arrival
This entry discusses traveling to the United States after receiving an Immigrant Visa and the admission procedure. This is sometimes called 'activating' your visa.

Observation: The definition of "I-551" can be found here. There I-551 is the form number for the Resident Alien card. This is given to "Lawful Permanent Residents" [aka LPR's or "Lappers"]. When the I-551 is used to return to the United States from a temporary trip abroad, the passport entry stamp is often endorsed "ARC" which is the old acronym for "Alien Registration Card."

There is nothing with the official name "green card" -- it is just a nickname that caught on a long time ago.

It is common for posters on this forum not connect "I-551" and "green card."

This post is given for general information only. No advice given nor intended.

All Advise is welcomed and much appreciated.
Thanks meauxna for the very helpful link.

You mean to tell me that i will not get a " Green" card with the words "Green Card on it!!!

I only wanted to move to the US to get one of these

One question.

Can i do anything about getting the Social Security Number before i move to the US or do i have to wait till i get there?

On one of your visa appliction forms, there should have been a question (yes / no type) asking if you want to apply for the SSN. If you checked "yes", then you should get your SS card in the mail within a few weeks of arrival.

If you checked "no", or if for some reason (as often happens) that gets overlooked for processing, then you'll have to go in person to a SS office to apply. If that's the case, wait about 10 days after entering the USA to do this, to give your status info a chance to get into the system SS uses to check your status.

Rene

It's question number 43a on the DS-230:

http://travel.state.gov/pdf/DS-0230.pdf

Rene

Woohoo for wiki editing.

Praise intended and delivered.

Congratulations it sounds like you've had a long slog, my Social Security number came on 16 February I entered on 30 January if that helps any.

Tracey

Thank you all, my mind is at rest.

I am sure that we checked yes for that one so lets hope all things go acording to plan.