Have you ever heard of the game, “Two truths and a lie?” One of the statements is false. See if you can guess which one…

1. A green card is not like a driver’s license. Even if I lose it, I will still be a lawful permanent resident.

2. As a fiancé(e), I will receive a green card when I step foot on US soil.

3. If I have an Immediate Relative or Family based visa I am a lawful permanent resident as soon after inspection to the US. So, which one is the lie?

Give up? It is… Question number 2!

Let’s go through these questions one by one…

1. A green card is not like a driver’s license. Even if I lose it, I will still be a lawful permanent resident.

Believe it or not, a green card is only evidence of status. This is unlike a Filipino or American driver’s license where the license and the status are combined. For Immediate Relative and Family-based visa categories, you will be a lawful permanent resident as soon as you are admitted after inspection at a US port of entry. What is lawful permanent resident status anyway? It means that you are admitted to stay in the United States as long as you wish. There is no “end date” to your legal stay in the United States.The funny thing is that you don’t need a green card to be a green card holder! And green cards may not even be green! They used to be, then they were not, now they are again! Napaka OMG!

But anyway, if you are a lawful permanent resident or green card holder you generally have authorization to live and work in the US on a permanent basis. The best evidence of that status is called a “green card.” There is an expiration date on your green card. But if you haven’t formally given up legal permanent resident status, you should still be okay even if your card has expired.

2. As a fiancé(e), I will receive a green card when I step foot on US soil.

Wrong! If you are a fiancé, you will not obtain legal permanent resident status until you get married and file an application for adjustment. By law, you need to marry the US citizen who petitioned for you within 90 days. You will need to adjust your status with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services right after you get married. You can find more info here: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=fcf75b836ea73210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=3d7fa6c515083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD3.

3. If I have an Immediate Relative or Family based visa I am a legal permanent resident as soon as I have been admitted with an immigrant visa the US after inspection at a port of entry.

Yes, this is TRUE. You do not have to wait for a green card. As we mentioned before, a green card is only evidence of your status as a lawful permanent resident. Your initial admission on an immigrant visa will include an endorsement stamp by the inspector which will then transform your immigrant visa into temporary evidence of your lawful permanent resident status until you receive your green card.

Thank you for playing!