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Visa in hand: what comes next

The steps from the embassy to your green card, Social Security number and first months in America – and the travel rules that protect your green card. From USCIS, SSA and IRS.

≤ 6 monthsImmigrant visa validity – enter before it ends

≈ 3 weeksSocial Security card by mail after arrival

≤ 90 daysGreen card by mail – ask USCIS if later

5 yearsAs a permanent resident before you can apply for citizenship

At a glance

Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online after you get the visa and before you fly – without it USCIS does not make your green card.
Give the correct U.S. address – the green card and Social Security card are mailed there.
Long trips abroad can cost you the green card: 6 months+ hurts the citizenship clock, 1 year+ needs a reentry permit before you leave.

Before you fly

1
Check the visa right away
Look at the printed visa in your passport. Wrong spelling or date of birth? Contact the embassy immediately.
2
Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee
Online at uscis.gov, after you pick up the visa and before you travel. One payment can cover the whole family. Someone else may pay for you with your A-Number and DOS Case ID.
3
Plan the travel date
The visa is usually valid for up to 6 months (shorter if the medical exam expires sooner). The worker must enter before or together with the family.
4
Hand-carry your documents
Passport with visa, and copies of your key documents. Keep originals of birth and marriage certificates with you.

At the U.S. airport

1
Admission by CBP
The CBP officer decides your admission. A visa alone does not guarantee entry.
2
The I-551 stamp
CBP stamps your passport. This stamp is your proof of permanent residence until the card arrives (valid up to 1 year).
3
Tell CBP your real U.S. address
If you will live somewhere else than the address you gave the embassy, give the new address here – the card is mailed to it.

First 30 days

1
Social Security card
If you asked for it on the DS-260, the card comes by mail – usually within 3 weeks. Not received after 3 weeks? Call SSA 1-800-772-1213.
2
Selective Service (men 18 – 25)
Male immigrants aged 18 through 25 must register within 30 days of arriving. Registering is not joining the army.
3
Start with your sponsoring employer
Your green card is based on the job offer – plan to start working for the employer that sponsored you. GVS confirms the start date with you.
4
Bank account and phone
Open a U.S. bank account with your passport and I-551 stamp; you need it for salary and bills.

First 90 days

1
Your green card arrives
USCIS mails it to the address it has for you. Not received within 90 days of paying the fee (or of entering, if you paid before)? Use the USCIS online help form.
2
Moved? Report it within 10 days
Every non-citizen must tell USCIS about a new address within 10 days of moving (online).
3
Keep the I-551 stamp safe
Until the card arrives, the stamp in your passport is your proof of status for work and travel.

Keep your green card

1
Trips of 6 months or more
They may break the “continuous residence” you need for citizenship.
2
Trips of 1 year or more
Apply for a reentry permit (Form I-131) BEFORE you leave. Without it, the green card alone is no longer enough to come back.
3
Away more than 2 years
A reentry permit has expired by then – you would need a returning resident (SB-1) visa, with a new medical exam.
4
File U.S. taxes every year
Green card holders are U.S. tax residents (IRS “green card test”) and must file federal and state tax returns.

Citizenship

1
5 years as a permanent resident
Most green card holders can apply for U.S. citizenship (Form N-400) after 5 years – the application can be sent up to 90 days early.
2
Keep a clean record
Taxes filed, address updated, no long absences – this makes the citizenship application simple.

Document checklist for your family →NVC & Dhaka interview guide →

Want an EB-3 job with a real U.S. employer?

GVS guides workers in Korea and Bangladesh through PERM, I-140 and the visa interview. Free seminar every Sunday in Seoul.

Book the free seminar See open EB-3 jobs

Sources: U.S. Department of State – after the immigrant visa interview; USCIS – Immigrant Fee, international travel as a permanent resident, change of address, rights and responsibilities; Social Security Administration (Enumeration at Entry); Selective Service System; IRS – green card test. General information, not legal or tax advice.