Mandatory stay period after landing in US with DV lottery Visa

[D K Twum]

I have been selected for further processing for the dv 2013 program and hope to get the visa ultimately.
I want to know if given the visa, how long am I mandated to stay in the USA once I enter with this visa?
Can I return to my homeland after I have received my green card? and if so, how long can I stay outside
the USA before retuning?
Waiting for authentic reply

[mickey_mouse]

What is an authentic reply?

Once you enter the US with your IV, you can leave again whenever you want. Just remember that an immigrant visa is *to live in the US*. As many DV winners have still to put their things in order before relocating permanently to the US (quit job, sell house/car, etc), DHS and CBP understand that.

But please don't do what many others do - travel to the US, stay for a couple weeks, go back to your country for 11 months, come back for a couple of weeks. Do that a couple times and you will be asked by the CBP to relinquish your green card.

These kind of posts make me wonder why people apply to the DV at all, if they don't actually want to relocate to the US. Specially considering that citizens of countries like India have been waiting in line, in some cases, for more than ten years to get an immigrant visa.

I have been selected for further processing for the dv 2013 program and hope to get the visa ultimately.
I want to know if given the visa, how long am I mandated to stay in the USA once I enter with this visa?
Can I return to my homeland after I have received my green card? and if so, how long can I stay outside
the USA before retuning?
Waiting for authentic reply

[cafeconleche]

There's no need to chastise people who apply for DV and don't have everything in order IMMEDIATELY after they are chosen. The chances of being chosen are SO LOW that it's often a shock when one IS chosen.

You can apply for a Re-Entry permit once you enter the US. This will allow you to stay out for up to 2 years (a little more, usually, because it takes a few months to be issued, so your 2 years could start six months after you apply). You need to be in the country when you apply, and then when you have to give your fingerprints a few weeks later. Then, you can leave (and ask them to send the Permit to the consulate in your home country).

Having said that, don't get complacent about this process. Try to get ready to move permanently as soon as you can.

[mickey_mouse]

There's no need to chastise people who apply for DV and don't have everything in order IMMEDIATELY after they are chosen. The chances of being chosen are SO LOW that it's often a shock when one IS chosen.

You can apply for a Re-Entry permit once you enter the US. This will allow you to stay out for up to 2 years (a little more, usually, because it takes a few months to be issued, so your 2 years could start six months after you apply). You need to be in the country when you apply, and then when you have to give your fingerprints a few weeks later. Then, you can leave (and ask them to send the Permit to the consulate in your home country).

Having said that, don't get complacent about this process. Try to get ready to move permanently as soon as you can.

I provided the OP with accurate information - "Once you enter the US with your IV, you can leave again whenever you want. Just remember that an immigrant visa is *to live in the US*. As many DV winners have still to put their things in order before relocating permanently to the US (quit job, sell house/car, etc), DHS and CBP understand that."

I didn't suggest a reentry permit because the OP didn't specify how long he was planning to stay outside of the US - and both of us know he doesn't need that if he doesn't plan to stay away for less than a year

And as I'm not a lawyer, or if I was, not their lawyer (ie: not getting paid for this), I consider being able to speak my mind while answering a question a fair retribution.

Nonetheless, thanks for your comments - I'll certainly consider them with the attention they deserve.

[2015 DV Winners]

time to get re-entry permit

My husband, daughter and I will travel to collect our Green Cards (DV Lottery winners 2015) in July 2015. However, we want to collect them and return to our home country to prepare. We have businesses to wind down, jobs to sort, schooling to sort....etc and realistically it could be 1 year or even a bit longer before we are in a comfortable and ready state to return full time. For us to up and move within 3 or 4 months from receipt of the notification of success is hugely unrealisitic.

My first question is regarding the reentry permit. If we apply for it as soon as we arrive in July, how long does it take until we will be asked to go for the biometric fingerprinting etc? What is the timescale please. 1 week? 2weeks?....We'd like to return as soon as possible as we see no point simply hanging around for no good reason.

My second question is regarding the flights in July. Are our flights paid for? Just the one way?.... or return? or how does it work because we need return flights.

We are serious but we need time to prepare.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can advise on the above 2 points.