Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

Just about to book tickets for our first trip to california, moving as Green Card Holders....soo excited!

Now then.... The address we put down on all our applications is my wife's relations address in Alameda, near San Francisco. That's the address our SSN and Green Cards will be sent to.

However we're heading to LA.

We're expecting a grilling at the POE anyway but will it complicate things further if we fly into LAX instead of SFO?

We've put our flights on hold for 2 hours so any swift responses would be most welcome!!

Thanks

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

It doesn't matter which POE you enter in the USA. The first US city you land in will do your immigration process. You'll get a connecting flight after that.

If I understand you correctly, you are actually entering on Immigrant Visas (not green cards, as you say). Your green cards will be mailed to whatever address you give them at the POE.

Why do you expect a grilling at the POE, if you have valid Immigrant Visas in hand?

Rene

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

Thanks Renee,

Yes that's correct. We have the immigrants I-551 permanent residence for a year stuck in our passports. I thought I had read that the first entry on these can still be quite...traumatic?!

We have he choice of flying on August 30th to SFO or September 8th into LAX so just weighing up the options. I thought it might raise some eyebrows if our official address for the purpose of paperwork is in a different city to the one we arrive in. But you don't think it will be a problem?

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

Wait...you already have the I-551 endorsement in your passport? Did you already enter the USA before, using your Immigrant Visas? Or is this your first trip using the Immigrant Visas?

If you already have the I-551 endorsement on the visa, then this is NOT your first trip using the visa.

If this IS your first trip using the Immigrant Visas, then you do NOT have an I-551 endorsement on the visa yet. That will happen at the POE.

I have not heard any reports of entering on an Immigrant Visa being traumatic. It will take some time at the POE, and you will go to secondary, but that's standard procedure. Nothing to worry about.

No, it won't be a problem at all.

Rene

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

Thanks again Rene,

We haven't entered the USA with these Visa's yet...What is stuck in our passports is:

"UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMAMENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR"

So I guess it will be Endorsed upon our first entry?

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

Yes. At the moment, all you have is an Immigrant Visa. When you enter the POE for the first time, the visa will be "endorsed" and then it will serve as a temporary I-551 (green card) for 1 year. In the meantime, your plastic green cards will be mailed to the address you provided on the visa application, unless you change that address verbally at the POE.

Rene

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

I suppose some people might find the entry stressful, but there is no need for it to be so. You've already been through the tough part, the visa application process and interview. The initial entry should be nothing more than the administrative endorsement of the visa. Unless you say or do something daft while in the presence of a CBP officer, aside from the time taken to "deal with the paperwork", it should be the easiest and least stressful passage through immigration you'll ever have, at least until you become a USC. :)

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

I flew into Atlanta and was going on to Tuscon. Once I cleared secondary in Atlanta I was a PR ... :thumbsup:

Why would they care?

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

Once you are a legal permanent resident upon entry, you can go wherever you want. Nothing binds you to live with or near a joint sponsor.

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

It isn't your "Official town" - it's just your mailing address ...

... although you do have to notify USCIS of a permanent change of address ...

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

As the others have said no problem at all. We flew into vegas before going onto california :)

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

Cheers Chaps!

We ended up booking to fly into San Francisco in the end...that way we can stay with the Mrs' relatives for a few weeks to get set up with bank accounts, phones, drivers licences and a car before heading to LA. For some reason I think those things might be easier in small town Alameda than LA...?!

Soooo Excited! Even more so because we've managed to save enough air miles to fly upper class with Virgin :-)

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

Maybe some things.

1. Bank account - can be done from any branch.
2. Phones - can be purchased and account set up from any city.
3. Drivers License - do this at your local DMV, because they will need to see proof of your residence there (utility bill, for example), and you will probably need to wait until you have your SSN as well, which takes a few weeks to arrive by mail after you enter on the Immigrant Visa.
4. Car - You might have to wait until you have your drivers license, unless you can drive on your UK license for a while. But if you mean purchasing a car, you will need proof of car insurance.

Do you have a stable mailing address in the USA where your green card and SS card will be sent?

Just curious, in earlier posts in this thread, it sounded like you and your wife are both arriving on Immigrant Visas. But if your wife wife has relatives in the USA, is she also a USC?

Rene

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

No she's not a USC, we're staying with her Mother's cousin....not sure what relation that makes her to us!

That's also the address we have listed for our SSN and GC to be sent to.

I think, car wise, we'll hire one for a month or so when we arrive. Hopefully one which will cover us to take the driving test in, maybe we can use her relation's car if not. Then we'll buy a car to drive down to LA. She's promised me I'm finally allowed a Range Rover haha

Re: Do I have to fly into my Official town?!
 

Double check with the DMV requirements in the city where you plan to take the driving test. CA is pretty strict, and might require a SSN and proof of residence in CA before they'll allow you to test.

My husband took his driving test in Los Angeles. They required his SSN and a utility bill to prove he lives in CA.

Rene