What is the “Effective Date” of Permanent Residency?

When it comes to your citizenship or a lawful permanent residency, dates are extremely important to note down. Each date about your application from start to finish signifies something important in the grand scheme of the process of you gaining your lawful permanent residency in the United States of America. Of all these dates, the “effective date” of citizenship or the other category is known as lawful permanent residency is the most important.

Your green card is that document that declares your status in the United States as a permanent resident in the country. People who have a green card have many relaxations compared to those living inside the country on any form of an immigrant visa. This green card has a certain validity that begins on a particular date. This date is known as the “effective date” or the “issue date.” It is an essential piece of information that states your validity as a permanent resident in the country.

What is a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR)?

A foreign national to the United States of America is given the status of a “Lawful Permanent Resident” (LPR) when they apply for this status and meet certain criteria subject to much scrutiny. Such people are immigrants that are allowed to reside in the US permanently. They are now allowed to take up any job they like without any restrictions, buy and sell property throughout the country, receive financial assistance from public universities and colleges alike, and even enlist in the United States Armed Forces. The most common cause for anyone applying for an LPR is family reunification.

Lawful permanent residents are almost on par with general citizens of the country. When compared to natural citizens, one major difference they have is that permanent residents are not allowed to vote in government elections to vote for the country’s leaders. This holds for elections for the highest office and also for local self–government. After living in the United States for a fixed amount of time and fulfilling other requirements, one can apply for the naturalization process and be granted the right to vote and several other benefits. Once this naturalization process is complete, the permanent residents will be considered the same as the natural-born citizen of the United States.

When Is The Effective Date For My Permanent Residency?

The effective date for your permanent residency is when the United States commission for immigration services has cleared your application and granted you permanent residency status or conditional permanent residency status. One should note that this may/may not be the same day as one enters the United States of America.

For example, the US embassy in your home country may generally approve an immigrant visa on the date of the interview if it was successful. But, the immigrant in question may not enter the US for several weeks after that, depending on their convenience. Thus, the date of approval i.e. “the effective date” and the date of entry into the United States, would be different in many cases such as this. In fact, there would be extremely few cases where both dates do match.

The effective date of permanent residency is an important date for you since this marks the day you are considered a part of the society of the United States of America. Once this date crosses, you will be eligible for several benefits in the United States. You will also be eligible for much wider investment opportunities and grow yourself in the country in better ways.

What Is A “Date Of Admission”?

The date of admission referred to when your name was admitted into the list of permanent residents in the united states. It is the day when your application for lawful permanent residency was approved by the United States Commission for Immigration Services and granted you the permanent residency card, also known as the “Green Card.” The date of admission is not the same as when you entered the United States.

For instance, if your green card is approved while you are still away from the United States, your admission date will be before your date of entry into the United States. However, if your application for a green card were submitted while you are still in the United States and had it approved in the same manner, then your date of admission would be after your date of entry into the United States.

Getting a date of admission for their green card is every immigrant’s dream come true. It is not easy to be granted a green card in the country. In most cases, even if your petition is approved, you could be put on the waitlist for the current year and only be able to get a date of admission next year due to a yearly quota on the number of green cards granted each year.

Where To Find “Date Of Admission”?

Checking the location of the admission date and verifying that it is correct is extremely important to make sure there are no errors in your permanent residency status. In most cases, this process is quite easy, and one can find the date of admission readily displayed on several locations in their permanent residency approved papers. Here is where to look for it on your green card and other documents:

Where To Find The “Date Of Admission” On The Green Card?

The admission date is easily visible on the front side of the permanent residency card or the green card. It is usually on the bottom of the green card against “Resident Since.” However, this is only in the latest issue of the Green Card. If you hold a green card that’s older, you might have to look for it elsewhere on the card. But it will be written somewhere on your green card against the words, “Resident Since.”

Where To Find The “Date Of Admission” On Your Other Documents?

If for any reason, you do not have in your possession your green card, you can still find your “date of admission” on other documents related to your permanent residency. Documents such as the I–797 notice of action approval notice will contain the date of admission that you are looking for. You can also look for the consular letter sent to you from the embassy approving your permanent residency. The date on that letter is the date of admission for you.

Read More

• Can I Stay More Than 6 Months Outside the U.S. with a Green Card?
• Green Card Process Steps: EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Visa
• SSN Update After Green Card
• How Long Does it Take for USCIS to Make a Decision After an Interview?
• Can You Be Deported if You are Married to an American Citizen?
• Which Countries Can You Visit With a Green Card?

Final Thoughts

It is essential to know all the dates of your permanent residency status. If you don’t, it can cause you trouble in the future as well. Make sure you try and find the “date of admission” on your green card and keep it safe at all times. If you need to verify your dates, try searching for the same on your other documents, such as the I–797 notice of action approval notice or your consular letter. The date on which the letter was sent is the date of admission for you.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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