CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

So i am talking to people re car finance. As people point out there are various schemes for people moving over with no credit.

I have already said one company cant deal with me and have now turned to others.

The issue seems to be they want to see a Permanent Residents Card or I-94. See below from VW.

"Copy of Visa with expiration date (with picture blacked out). For applicants who plan to extend their stay beyond the date shown on their Visa, we will accept the length of stay in the U.S. shown on the applicant's employment letter, employment contract, Permanent Resident Card, or I-94 form in order to determine the special finance terms"

Now i enter and get my I-551 valid for one year. So i guess it looks like i am only allowed for one year. When my physical card shows up what expiry date does that have ?

So worry is I need to wait for a card and even then as I'm on a CR-1 what date it shows for finance

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

For a CR-1 the expiry date on your actual green card should be two years from the date you entered the US on your immigrant visa.

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

OK. Thanks. Wonder how finance companies will view all this !

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

Just a thought. You have a USC spouse can't the lease be in both your names so that the expiration date of your I-551 and subsequent hard green card will not be an issue?

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

That’s what the VW dealer suggested. Whilst my wife is a USC and has a good credit rating she doesn’t have a job. Therefore we though to use the expats car leasing route.

Expats ride also seem stuck on dealing with marriage visa’s

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

I came in on a CR-1 and my wife didn't have a job. I had a job lined up.

IAS didn't have a problem with my situation, but I was buying not leasing, and this wasn't recently, so I guess the rules could have changed.

FWIW the whole deal was agreed and signed while I was still in the UK, and the car was delivered around the sender time as I received my green card, six weeks after arriving in the US. IAS certainly didn't have the info from my green card before I received the car.

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

My work took a copy of my CR-1 visa in the back of my passport. Doesn't the visa say that it acts as a temporary i-551 / evidence of permanent resident?

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

Yes it does. The issue i guess is that some leases will be tied to the length of the visa and this only shows as one year.

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

You need to get the message across that you are a permanent resident, not someone on a limited-life visa. If an L-1x expires you have to leave the country, but when your I-551 expires after one year, and your green card (derived from a CR-1) expires after two years, you will still be a permanent resident.

It appears that the people you are dealing with don't understand that, and if you keep on talking about visas and that they expire, you aren't helping yourself. You need to focus on emphasizing "I am a permanent resident .... ".

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

100% agreed.

Re: CR-1, I-551 and finance
 

An example might be to say if you have a temporary drivers license does that mean your license will expire and you will no longer be able to drive? This is a temporary i-551 which can be renewed.