Traveling first time with I551

[person23]

I am not sure what to do. I have my I551 in my passport but have not travelled to the states as yet and not sure what to expect in the situation I am in.

I am not ready to permanently migrate to the states just as yet as I have various things I need to take care of first however I want to permanently migrate by the end of 2014.

I have an important business trip coming up which would force me to transit through the USA to my final destination in another country. I understand that when I reach my POE in the USA that my I551 will be stamped and this will allow me to travel to and from the USA for a year.

1st question: Is it guaranteed that when I reach my POE that my I551 will be stamped?
2nd question: Should I maybe go 1 week in advance to the states first then transit through the states?
3rd question: If immigration finds out that the purpose of the trip to the states was to transit to another country and not to reside permanently as yet, will they get mad? can this affect my green card?

This is a very important trip however I am not willing to risk being denied my green card for it so Id like to know if there is some kind of risk in doing this. Am I overthinking this?

[rayb]

The I-551 is the annotation that one receives in his passport upon arrival as an immigrant.

Could you be referring to something else, rather than an I-551 annotation? Perhaps a visitor visa (B1/B2)?

--Ray B

I am not sure what to do. I have my I551 in my passport but have not travelled to the states as yet and not sure what to expect in the situation I am in.

I am not ready to permanently migrate to the states just as yet as I have various things I need to take care of first however I want to permanently migrate by the end of 2014.

I have an important business trip coming up which would force me to transit through the USA to my final destination in another country. I understand that when I reach my POE in the USA that my I551 will be stamped and this will allow me to travel to and from the USA for a year.

1st question: Is it guaranteed that when I reach my POE that my I551 will be stamped?
2nd question: Should I maybe go 1 week in advance to the states first then transit through the states?
3rd question: If immigration finds out that the purpose of the trip to the states was to transit to another country and not to reside permanently as yet, will they get mad? can this affect my green card?

This is a very important trip however I am not willing to risk being denied my green card for it so Id like to know if there is some kind of risk in doing this. Am I overthinking this?

[person23]

The I-551 is the annotation that one receives in his passport upon arrival as an immigrant.

Could you be referring to something else, rather than an I-551 annotation? Perhaps a visitor visa (B1/B2)?

--Ray B

Yes I am referring to the I-551 annotation or stamp ( I am assuming its the same thing).
I read somewhere on the internet that lately (2014) the stamping or annotation on the I551 upon entry is not a guaranteed action that the POE immigration officer does. I also read that sometimes the person entering the USA is only given the stamp if he proves that he must travel for some very important reason before receiving his green card. Is this true? Or is the "annotation" "stamp" guaranteed upon entry?

[rayb]

Person23,

You seem to be contradicting yourself. In your first post you said you have the I-551 in your passport, but haven't been in the States yet.

You most recently said that you understand the I-551 annotation is put in one's passport upon entry.

Can you clarify what you have in order to enter the States? You can only get an I-551 stamp if you enter a U.S. Port of Entry as an immigrant.

A K1 (fiance) entrant used to be able to receive a "temporary" passport annotation giving permission to work up to 90 days (duration of a K1 status entry), but that was not really an I-551 annotation.

A B1 (visitor) entrant receives a stamp in the passport indicating the visa status and the allowable visit expiration date.

In your first post, were you possibly referring to your visa as your "I-551," or were you simply mistaken altogether?

Upon re-reading your first post, you imply that you have an immigrant visa to enter the U.S., which, without the Green Card, would warrant an I-551 annotation upon entry that would give you immigrant status and privileges for one year.

Do you have or are you expecting to obtain an immigrant visa? And are you intending to use it simply to visit the States, then to move on to some other destination? It seems like a lot of bother for very little benefit.

---Ray B

Yes I am referring to the I-551 annotation or stamp ( I am assuming its the same thing).
I read somewhere on the internet that lately (2014) the stamping or annotation on the I551 upon entry is not a guaranteed action that the POE immigration officer does. I also read that sometimes the person entering the USA is only given the stamp if he proves that he must travel for some very important reason before receiving his green card. Is this true? Or is the "annotation" "stamp" guaranteed upon entry?

[person23]

Person23,

You seem to be contradicting yourself. In your first post you said you have the I-551 in your passport, but haven't been in the States yet.

You most recently said that you understand the I-551 annotation is put in one's passport upon entry.

Can you clarify what you have in order to enter the States? You can only get an I-551 stamp if you enter a U.S. Port of Entry as an immigrant.

A K1 (fiance) entrant used to be able to receive a "temporary" passport annotation giving permission to work up to 90 days (duration of a K1 status entry), but that was not really an I-551 annotation.

A B1 (visitor) entrant receives a stamp in the passport indicating the visa status and the allowable visit expiration date.

In your first post, were you possibly referring to your visa as your "I-551," or were you simply mistaken altogether?

Upon re-reading your first post, you imply that you have an immigrant visa to enter the U.S., which, without the Green Card, would warrant an I-551 annotation upon entry that would give you immigrant status and privileges for one year.

Do you have or are you expecting to obtain an immigrant visa? And are you intending to use it simply to visit the States, then to move on to some other destination? It seems like a lot of bother for very little benefit.

---Ray B

Sorry for the confusion.
I thought that an immigrant visa and I-551 were the same thing. isn't the I-551 known as an immigrant visa?
I got my I-551 this year and my visitors visa B1 was cancelled in the process.
I am intending to permanently move to the States in a few months, however would like to travel in the interim through the States.

[rayb]

Gotcha. I-551 refers to either the Green Card one gets after arrival in the U.S., or the Port of Entry annotation one receives when arriving at the Port of Entry with an immigrant visa.

All is much clearer now.

--Ray B

Sorry for the confusion.
I thought that an immigrant visa and I-551 were the same thing. isn't the I-551 known as an immigrant visa?
I got my I-551 this year and my visitors visa B1 was cancelled in the process.
I am intending to permanently move to the States in a few months, however would like to travel in the interim through the States.