What to Do After Entering US with Immigrant Visa

What Happens the Moment You Enter the United States

Your immigration status changes the instant a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer admits you at a U.S. port of entry with an approved immigrant visa. The visa stamp in your passport — issued by a U.S. consulate abroad after your petition was approved and you completed consular processing — authorizes a single entry. CBP's admission converts that authorization into lawful permanent resident status. The officer stamps your passport with an I-551 stamp or endorsement, marking the date you became a green card holder. That stamp serves as temporary proof of status for one year while USCIS produces your physical green card.

The process feels anticlimactic: an officer reviews your immigrant visa packet, asks a few questions, takes fingerprints, and waves you through. But that moment carries legal weight. You are now a permanent resident with rights, privileges, and obligations under U.S. immigration law. What you do in the following days and weeks determines whether your status is properly documented, whether you can work immediately, and whether you maintain the conditions of permanent residency.

Receive Your Green Card in the Mail

USCIS mails your physical green card to the U.S. address listed on your immigrant visa application — typically the address you provided during consular processing. The card usually arrives within 30 to 90 days of entry. Processing times vary by USCIS workload and the service center handling your case, so confirm the current timeframe on the USCIS website rather than planning around a fixed window.

The green card itself is a wallet-sized document bearing your name, photo, fingerprint, Alien Registration Number (A-Number), card expiration date, and category of admission. It is the primary proof of your permanent resident status. Conditional residents — spouses of U.S. citizens married less than two years at the time of approval, for example — receive a green card valid for two years. All other immigrant categories receive a card valid for ten years.

If the card does not arrive within 90 days, file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, through the USCIS online system or by mail. Do not wait indefinitely — the absence of a card complicates travel, employment verification, and benefit applications. The I-551 passport stamp remains valid as proof of status while you wait, but employers, agencies, and airlines expect the card itself.

Apply for a Social Security Number or Update Your Record

Permanent residents are eligible to work in the United States without restriction. To work legally, you need a Social Security Number (SSN). If you already have an SSN from prior authorized employment in the U.S. — for example, if you previously held an H-1B or L-1 visa with work authorization — visit a Social Security Administration (SSA) office to update your record. Bring your passport with the I-551 stamp and, if available, your green card. SSA will remove the employment restriction notation from your Social Security card, replacing it with a card that does not state "Valid for work only with DHS authorization."

If you do not have an SSN, apply for one at any SSA office. You will need your passport with the I-551 stamp, proof of age (birth certificate or passport), and proof of identity. SSA verifies your immigration status electronically with USCIS. The card arrives by mail within two weeks. You cannot work legally without it — employers use the SSN for tax reporting and E-Verify compliance.

Some immigrant visa applicants mark a box during consular processing authorizing the State Department to share their information with SSA for automatic SSN issuance. If you did this, SSA may issue your number without an in-person visit. Check with SSA to confirm whether a card was issued and to what address it was mailed. If the card goes to the wrong address or does not arrive, visit an office to resolve it.

Understand What the I-551 Stamp Allows You to Do

The I-551 endorsement in your passport is temporary proof of permanent resident status. It allows you to work, travel internationally, apply for a driver's license, and prove lawful status to employers, schools, and government agencies. Employers accept the stamped passport as a List A document for Form I-9 employment eligibility verification — it satisfies both identity and work authorization requirements.

The stamp expires one year from the date of entry. After that, you must present the physical green card. If your card has not arrived by the time the stamp expires, file Form I-90 immediately. USCIS will issue an I-551 stamp extension at a local field office after you file, allowing continued proof of status while the replacement card is produced.

Travel Outside the United States as a New Permanent Resident

Permanent residents may travel internationally and return to the U.S. without a visa, but the law presumes you intend to maintain residence in the United States. Extended absences risk abandonment of status. A single trip lasting more than one year is treated as abandonment unless you obtained a reentry permit before leaving. Trips of six months to one year trigger scrutiny — CBP may question whether you still reside in the U.S. and may refer you to an immigration judge if the evidence suggests you moved abroad.

Before your first international trip, confirm you have either your physical green card or a valid I-551 passport stamp. Airlines will not board you without one. If the stamp has expired and the card has not arrived, delay travel until you can obtain an I-551 stamp extension from USCIS or receive the card. Attempting to return without proof of status strands you at the departure airport.

If you plan to remain abroad for more than one year — for work, family care, or education — apply for a reentry permit (Form I-131) before you leave. The permit allows you to stay abroad for up to two years without abandoning status. You must file while physically in the United States and attend a biometrics appointment before departing.

Register for Selective Service (If Applicable)

Male permanent residents between the ages of 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of becoming a permanent resident or turning 18, whichever comes later. Registration is a federal requirement; failure to register makes you ineligible for federal student aid, federal job training, and federal employment. It also creates a bar to naturalization — USCIS treats failure to register as evidence you did not meet the "good moral character" requirement for citizenship.

Register online at sss.gov or at any U.S. post office. The process takes minutes. You need your full name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and current address. The obligation ends at age 26, but if you failed to register during the window, you cannot register late. USCIS will require a Status Information Letter from Selective Service explaining why you did not register, and you must demonstrate that the failure was not willful.

Know What You Cannot Do as a Permanent Resident

Permanent residency grants nearly all the rights of U.S. citizenship except the right to vote in federal elections, the right to hold certain federal jobs requiring citizenship, and the right to sponsor extended family members for green cards (parents, adult siblings, and married adult children are not immediate relatives for permanent residents — only U.S. citizens can sponsor them in those categories). Permanent residents also cannot serve on federal juries, though some states allow green card holders to serve on state juries.

Voting in a federal election as a non-citizen is a deportable offense and a permanent bar to naturalization. Some jurisdictions allow non-citizens to vote in local elections — school boards, municipal issues — but federal and state elections are restricted to citizens. If you register to vote or cast a ballot in a federal election, even by mistake, USCIS will treat it as a false claim to U.S. citizenship, triggering removal proceedings.

Maintain Permanent Residency and Avoid Abandonment

Here's the honest answer: permanent residency is not unconditional. The law requires you to maintain residence in the United States. Residence means more than owning property or having a U.S. address — it means living in the U.S. as your principal home. Prolonged absences, especially when combined with evidence of employment, property ownership, or family ties abroad, lead CBP to conclude you abandoned your green card.

If you must travel frequently or stay abroad for extended periods, maintain U.S. ties: file U.S. tax returns as a resident, keep a U.S. address, maintain U.S. bank accounts and property, and return regularly. When CBP questions you at the port of entry about a long absence, they are assessing whether you intended to remain a U.S. resident or whether you moved abroad. The burden of proof is on you. Document your ties and be prepared to explain why you were gone.

Understand Your Tax Obligations

Permanent residents are taxed as U.S. residents on worldwide income, regardless of where the income is earned. You must file a U.S. tax return annually with the IRS, reporting income from all sources — U.S. employment, foreign employment, investment income, rental income, and capital gains. The filing deadline is April 15 of the year following the tax year, with extensions available.

If you earn income abroad, the U.S. tax code allows foreign tax credits and the foreign earned income exclusion to prevent double taxation, but you must file to claim them. Failing to file creates a problem at naturalization — USCIS requires five years of tax transcripts to evaluate good moral character, and missing returns delay or derail citizenship applications. State tax obligations vary; consult a tax professional familiar with both federal and state requirements.

Plan for Naturalization if You Want U.S. Citizenship

Permanent residency is a terminal status — you can remain a green card holder indefinitely, renewing the card every ten years. But most permanent residents eventually apply for U.S. citizenship through naturalization. The general eligibility rule is five years of continuous residence as a permanent resident, with at least 30 months of physical presence in the U.S. during that period. Spouses of U.S. citizens may apply after three years, provided the marriage has lasted three years and the spouse has been a citizen throughout.

Naturalization requires demonstrating good moral character, knowledge of U.S. history and government (the civics test), and ability to read, write, and speak English. The civics test as of 2026 consists of questions drawn from a published list; confirm the current test version and question count on the USCIS website before you study. USCIS also evaluates whether you committed any disqualifying acts during the statutory period — certain crimes, failure to file taxes, false testimony, and failure to register for Selective Service all affect eligibility.

File Form AR-11 When You Move

Permanent residents must report every change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving. File Form AR-11, Alien's Change of Address Card, online at uscis.gov or by mail. Failing to report an address change is a misdemeanor and can result in fines or removal proceedings. More practically, USCIS mails notices, green card renewals, and requests for evidence to your address of record. If you do not receive them because you moved and did not update your address, you miss deadlines, your case is denied for failure to respond, and you lose status.

The 10-day window is strict. Moving across town or across the country triggers the same obligation. If you move frequently — students, temporary workers, military families — file each time. The process is free and takes minutes online.

What If Your Green Card Is Lost, Stolen, or Damaged

If your green card is lost, stolen, or damaged to the point it is unreadable, file Form I-90 immediately. USCIS charges a filing fee for replacement cards; confirm the current fee on the USCIS fee schedule at uscis.gov/forms before filing. Processing times for I-90 vary by service center, so check current times on the USCIS website.

If you need proof of status before the replacement card arrives — for example, to travel internationally or start a new job — schedule an InfoPass appointment at a local USCIS field office after filing I-90. An officer can place an I-551 stamp in your passport as temporary evidence of status. Do not travel without proof of status; airlines will deny boarding, and CBP cannot admit you without documentation.

What If You Were Convicted of a Crime After Receiving Your Immigrant Visa

Certain criminal convictions make permanent residents deportable, even if the conviction occurred after you were admitted. Crimes involving moral turpitude, aggravated felonies, controlled substance violations, domestic violence offenses, firearms offenses, and fraud all trigger removal proceedings. If you are arrested or convicted of any crime, consult an immigration attorney before taking any action. A guilty plea that seems minor in criminal court — shoplifting, DUI, simple assault — can be an aggravated felony or crime involving moral turpitude under immigration law, making you deportable and barring you from naturalization.

CBP conducts criminal background checks at the port of entry every time you return from international travel. If a conviction appears in the system, you will be referred to secondary inspection and possibly detained. Do not assume a dismissed charge, deferred adjudication, or expunged record is invisible to immigration authorities. USCIS and CBP see arrest records even when state courts seal them.

What If Your Conditional Green Card Is About to Expire

Conditional permanent residents — those admitted as spouses of U.S. citizens married less than two years at approval, or as EB-5 investors — receive a green card valid for two years instead of ten. The condition must be removed before the card expires, or status terminates automatically. File Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, jointly with your U.S. citizen spouse during the 90-day window before the card's expiration date. Filing late without good cause results in automatic termination of status and placement in removal proceedings.

USCIS extends your status while the I-751 is pending by issuing a receipt notice that, combined with the expired conditional green card, serves as proof of status for one year. If the case takes longer than a year to adjudicate, USCIS issues an I-551 stamp extension. Do not let the card expire without filing — the law does not allow late filings except in cases of abuse, extreme hardship, or the death of the petitioning spouse.

Comparison of Immigrant Visa Admission vs. Adjustment of Status

How the Law Offices of Peter D. Chu Supports New Permanent Residents

Navigating the first months of permanent residency involves more than receiving a green card in the mail. Compliance with address reporting, Selective Service registration, tax filing, and travel restrictions determines whether your status remains secure. Mistakes — voting in a federal election, failing to file taxes, taking a prolonged trip abroad without a reentry permit — can derail naturalization or lead to removal proceedings years later.

The Law Offices of Peter D. Chu has guided immigrant visa holders through the transition to permanent residency since 1981. The firm advises on travel planning, conditional green card removal, naturalization eligibility, and the procedural steps that protect your status from inadvertent violations. Whether you entered on an IR-1 spouse visa, an EB-based employment petition, or a family preference category, the firm's experience with consular processing outcomes and post-admission compliance helps you avoid the errors that most often disrupt status.

The consultation fee is $250. The firm is located at 4615 Convoy Street, San Diego, CA 92111. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Call 858-268-8823 to schedule. The firm conducts consultations in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and French.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about the steps permanent residents must take after entering the United States with an immigrant visa. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and the Law Offices of Peter D. Chu. Immigration outcomes depend on individual facts, the category of admission, and compliance with federal law. Consult a licensed immigration attorney for guidance specific to your situation.

Schedule a consultation with the Law Offices of Peter D. Chu — 4615 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111 · 858-268-8823 · Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:30 PM. Consultation fee: $250.