Woohoo! I got a green card, a green card, a green card.
For reference - it took 5 1/2 months after the INS interview (the one my wife had to attend), I sent them a change of address letter but it still went to the wrong address - fortunately the USPS forwarded it to our new home.
Advice Don't move while waiting for a Green Card.
WOO-HOO! Mine was pink! What color is yours??
I was actually quite surprised because it did have green on it. Most of the card is actually a huge silver holographic image(s) - pictures of presidents, all state flags, my photo and signature, the statue of liberty, a 'map' of the US...
Wonder if anyone can help me with a greencard question ???
Ours expire next May 27th. My older daughter's card has already been replaced since, with children, the law is that they have to have a new one issued with fingerprints when they turn 14. The next daughter, Hannah, turns 14 in June, two weeks after the original expires.......SO, will I have to fork out lotsa $$$ twice to avoid a period where she doesn't have a valid green card? Plus all the hassle of duplicated paperwork and another day in line at INS? To complicate things further she'll be on a school trip to Canada when it actually expires ???
I know, I'll have to spend a day on hold trying to get thru to the INS with this complicated question, but thought I'd ask here first what people advise.
Thanks!
Jan
PS - Congrats Beng - go celebrate!! Lets all have a drink in Beng's honour tonight....
razz
Congratulations Beng! I'll be toasting you tonight as I watch Ab Fab....
<!-- BBCode Start --><font color=#ffff00>EDDIE EDDIE EDDIE EDDIE EDDIE</font><!-- BBCode End -->
Congratulations Dawn!
Andrew :smile:
BENG, congratulations! It's such a nice feeling to get that precious bit of plastic.
Now, don't carry the darn thing around with you. 'Cos if you lose it you have to go through quite a palaver applying for a replacement. I know, it happened to me.
No one ever asks to look at a resident alien card (I mean during the normal course of a day) so there's no need to carry it around with you. Mine is safely tucked away in my safe at home.
Actually, the only time it comes out is on the rare occasion when I need a picture I.D. as I don't have a driver's license. It comes out when I leave the country of course.
Tried to use my Green Card in Safeway once as proof of age whilst buying some booze but the cashier and the manageress rejected it. My wife had to dig out her driving license as I couldn't be bothered to delve around for mine.
My parting shot to the store was that my federally issued document was surely far more difficult to fake than the state drivers licenses. My license has about two stickers over it anyway, from each time I moved house.
When I was here on holiday, they accepted my passport as picture ID - very weird.
BTW well done Beng. Mine is about to expire next April (provisions removed I hope) so I will be like Nigel then and not have a card for a while.
Biggest advantage was coming back into the country and getting to go in through the citizens line where your card gets swiped - very quick!
_________________
Semper Fidelis
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by pilgrim_007 on 2001-11-30 1731 ]</font>
As a sidenote to Annes warning, another thing never to do is take as gospel, anything the INS tell you.
I also lost my green card (whilst moving house). It was due to expire anyway so the INS issued me a letter covering me for 12 months while they processed my claim. They assured me I could travel in and out of the country with this letter and even reaffirmed this when I called a week before I was due to leave as I was not entirely convincd what they were telling me was accurate.
Sure enough, after a week in blighty I returned to the US with my INS approved letter, only to be told by customs that I should have what I believe was called a 'transportation letter(?)'. Fortunately, I got a customs official having a good day and he stamped me through anyway, with a warning to go back to my local INS and get a fresh stamp in my passport. Although to be honest, I don't envisage leaving the country again until I have my green card safely in tow.
congrats on getting the card ... Now lock it in a safe wink
Simon
I have now got mine too. It took just 5 months.
I was told at the INS interview NOT to move before recieving my card. This was never going to be any good for me as I was job hunting and could have ended up anywhere in the US.
Fortunately we initially lived with my in-laws on arrival here, and this is the address I gave. So when it finally arrived (by then I was living in Kentucky) they could forward it to me.
Feels good to be accepted!