Humphrey Channey

My wife and I got the I551 visa at the US Embassy in Thailand on
this Tuesday. We will be landing in USA during the 1st week in
November. We plan to take 2 short trips back to Thailand during the
3rd week in November and May next year. Each trip will be under 6
months. Are there any limits of how many times we can leave the
country with our I551 visas ? Is there any document we will need to
get back besides the visa ? Humphrey

Noorah101

I thought I-551 was the equivalent of a green card / permanent residency, not a visa?

Rene

E Kinney

The I-551 card is not just the equivalent of a green card but it is actually
THE green card or THE Permanent Resident Card as it is officially called.

You're right, it is NOT a VISA!

"Noorah101" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] m...
|
| > My wife and I got the I551 visa at the US Embassy in Thailand on
| > this Tuesday. We will be landing in USA during the 1st week in
| > November. We plan to take 2 short trips back to Thailand during the
| > 3rd week in November and May next year. Each trip will be under 6
| > months. Are there any limits of how many times we can leave the
| > country with our I551 visas ? Is there any document we will need to
| > get back besides the visa ? Humphrey
|
| I thought I-551 was the equivalent of a green card / permanent
| residency, not a visa?
|
| Rene
|
| --
|

Rete

It isn't. The poster doesn't know what they are talking about. You can't obtain the I-551 at the US Consulate. You get it at the US POE.

E Kinney

That is not accurate either.
You can't obtain an I-551 at the US POE.
Green Cards, Permanent Resident Cards or Form I-551 as they are known are
not issued at any US POE.

You may be ale to get something which could serve the same purpose as the
I-551 but you can't get the I-551 at the POE.

This is a very common misconception that a lot of people still fail to
comprehend.

"Rete" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] m...
|
| > I thought I-551 was the equivalent of a green card / permanent
| > residency, not a visa?
| >
| > Rene
|
| It isn't. The poster doesn't know what they are talking about. You
| can't obtain the I-551 at the US Consulate. You get it at the US POE.
|
| --
| I'm not an attorney. This disclaimer is valid in NYS!
|

Joe Feise

E Kinney wrote on 08/31/07 18:28:

> That is not accurate either.
> You can't obtain an I-551 at the US POE.
> Green Cards, Permanent Resident Cards or Form I-551 as they are known are
> not issued at any US POE.
>
> You may be ale to get something which could serve the same purpose as the
> I-551 but you can't get the I-551 at the POE.
>
> This is a very common misconception that a lot of people still fail to
> comprehend.


The stamp says something like "Processed for I551" (at least it used to say
that, I haven't seen it recently.)
--
I am not a lawyer.
For reliable advice, consult a competent immigration attorney.

Rete

You get the I-551 stamp at the POE.

meauxna

Humphrey, read the following article please. It has the links to the USCIS pages explaining your future travel. In a nutshell, you will have no problem traveling with just your passport and whatever form of evidence you have of your Permanent Resident status.
Your first trip will probably just be the endorsed visa in your passport. By your second trip, you should have your Green Cards.
Travel limits are discussed in the uscis.gov link 'Now That You Are A Permanent Resident'.

http://www.familybasedimmigration.co...ead.php?t=1073

The following article is for Immigrant Visa holders arriving in the US for the first time with their visa: Welcome to America!

In Secondary, your details will be entered into the computer and you may be asked a few confirming questions, all things that you already know (how long you've been married, where are you going etc). You will want to confirm your US mailing address here: this will now be your address of record, and ANY change of address MUST be reported, by law, via Form AR-11 from this point on.
You will give a fingerprint and signature here for the Green Card production and finally, the visa in your passport will be stamped, or 'endorsed'.
This endorsed visa is the documentary equivilant of your Green Card and serves as evidence of your status as a Permanent Resident. You can travel with this stamp as a Permanent Resident until you get your Green Card. Hopefully someone will tell you "Welcome to America" as they give you instructions about Removing Conditions in 2 years (ideally & if applicable).

You are now a Permanent Resident! Your Green Card and Social Security card will be mailed to you within 4 weeks. Until you get the Green Card, the endorsed visa is EXACTLY THE SAME THING.
If you have not received your Green Card after 4 weeks, you may as well follow up on it right away---usually nothing else will happen otherwise. Make an InfoPass appointment with your District Office and take your passport in to make an inquiry. New immigrant's cards are all produced at the Texas Service Center, so your envelope will have the Texas return address on it no matter where you live (this was related by the Director of a USCIS DO).

You are strongly encouraged to read the following pages about your status, rights, responsibilites and limitations (including voting, and maintaining your PR status).

Now That You Are A Permanent Resident

Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants
------------------


The links are active in the article, and there is more information about the specifics of going through the POE.