cruickies

Hi, we have had our letter today for my husband's visa appointment at the US embassy in London on 30 Jan. I know we have 6 months to "activate" it and from what I have read here it seems OK for us to just travel to the US on a holiday and then come back here while we wait for our house to sell.

Has anyone had any trouble going back to the US after the visa has been activated and you have returned to the Uk for a spell? Is there a length of time that is too long for us to be away and will give us problems when we re-enter?

Anything else we should think of?

Thanks in advance
ALi

Noorah101

I believe you can still visit the USA on the VWP without activating the CR-1 yet. Make sure you say that at the POE, so they know not to activate the visa.

To my knowledge, that's OK to do, and then you still have 6 months from the time of visa issuance to use it for immigrating to the USA.

Rene

Noorah101

If you DO choose to activate the visa on your trip to the USA, you do still have the freedom to go back to the UK anytime you want. It would be advisable not to stay out of the USA longer than 6 months if that's the case.

Rene

fatbrit

Where are they mailing the green cards to?

cruickies

When you say green cards, do you mean the actual document that will be sent to us following the interview? If so, it wll come to us in the UK.

cruickies

Thanks Rene, I have emailed the Embassy as well so will update this post with their official view as soon as it comes. In the meantime I thought I would gather your (ie BE regulars) thoughts.

Noorah101

The green card comes in the mail to a US address, once you use the immigrant visa.

The passport with the immigrant visa inside will be sent to you in the UK. When you use that visa to enter the USA, you become a PR, you receive an I-551 stamp in your passport (same as a green card), and the actual green cards arrive at a US address you've specified.

Rene

fatbrit

In the UK, they'll put a sticky MRV (machine readable visa) in your passport and give you a large sealed envelope to carry (unopened!!!) across the pond. When you arrive, they'll stamp the MRV and this is temporary proof of your permanent resident status. Then around 2 or 3 weeks after you arrive, they'll mail your green cards (proof of permanent resident status) to your US address. Only presumably you won't have one! This is a problem.

cruickies

Fatbric, luckily I have no shortage of family in the US so can use my folks adress in San Jose or my sister in law's address in Texas where we actually plan to live.

Thanks to you both for clarifying how it works and what we will get.

cruickies

I just had an email message from the Embassy stating they had deleted my email without reading it...this is from an email address that they gave me a few months go! GRRRRRRR

fatbrit

Okay -- so whichever one you're using get them to put your names in their mailbox the week you arrive and also tell their mailman if s/he is a regular -- USPS have a habit of not delivering them if they don't think you live there. Your last opportunity to change this mailing address is when you go to secondary processing on your first entry to the US. Presumably you're going to be visiting one or the other of your family on your holiday.

Also, use the opportunity while here to start stuff rolling: bank account, checks, drivers license, library. etc. If nothing else it shows your resident intent should you have problems later.

fatbrit

Typical! Did they give you instruction for putting a phrase in the title of your email?

wisewol

I think you may have problems entering the USA without using your visa. When we went to USA recently (end Dec) for the smae thing as you to look at houses etc, at every step of the way through the airport my OH name had been flagged on their system, literally warning signs came up on the computer screen and they jsut kept asking had he got his paperwork with him and wanting to see the envelope. When we then arrived at POE my OH asked specifically about leaving and re-entering and the officer stated 'Your passport is now your temporary green card you are free to come and go as any american citizen' I do understand from others though that you should not leave the country for more than 1 yr, this is not a problem for us as we are returing in march having given up on selling house and are now renting it out.

When we went to embassy for appoinment they definately required an address in the USA for his paperwork to be forwarded to and after we had entered the USA OH ss number was with him within 6 days of entering country and that was over New Year.

cruickies

NO, it was an email I received from them in response to a letter I sent. The email said if you need to correspond with us, then just reply to this email...which I did!

fatbrit

One shot and you're out, then! They're not much use anyway regarding advice. Have you had the interview, yet? And did they keep your passports for mailing back?