Green card arrival what to do in 90 days SSN AR-11 health insurance Selective Service
If you entered the US on an immigrant visa as a new green card holder, here is what to watch, in order: the I-551 stamp in your passport proves green card status for 1 year from entry; if you requested an SSN on the DS-260, the card is mailed to the US address you gave, and you should call SSA if it has not arrived 3 weeks after entry; within 10 days of moving into a longer-term home, file AR-11 and update your address in your USCIS online account so the green card can reach you; men aged 18–25 register with Selective Service within 30 days; after moving from abroad you usually have a 60-day Special Enrollment Period to buy health insurance. If your green card has not arrived 90 days after paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee or entering, contact USCIS.
This article is for people who entered from abroad on an immigrant visa. If you adjusted status inside the US (I-485), the order is different; see the section near the end. K-1 fiancé(e)s do not pay the Immigrant Fee; for the marriage process see WEDDING.
Green card arrival order at a glance
| When | What to do | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Before you leave | After getting your immigrant visa, pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee | USCIS |
| Arrival day | Make sure your passport has the I-551 stamp; check your I-94 online | USCIS, CBP |
| 3 weeks after entry | If the SSN card requested on the DS-260 has not arrived, call SSA | SSA POMS |
| Within 30 days of entry | Men aged 18–25 register with Selective Service | SSS |
| 60 days before or after the move | If needed, buy Marketplace health insurance in the Special Enrollment Period | HealthCare.gov |
| Within 10 days of every move | File AR-11 and update your address in your USCIS online account | USCIS |
| 90 days after paying or entering | If the green card has not arrived, contact USCIS | USCIS |
| First year | Confirm your tax status; apply for a re-entry permit before trips of 1 year or more | IRS, USCIS M-617 |
Before you leave: pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee
USCIS strongly encourages paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee after you pick up your immigrant visa and before you travel to the US. If you do not pay, you will not receive your green card; your permanent resident status itself is not affected, but your only evidence of status is the I-551 stamp, valid for 1 year from entry (USCIS Immigrant Fee page).
Who does not pay: children entering through orphan or Hague adoption programs, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants, returning residents (SB-1), and K visa holders. For the amount, use the official USCIS fee page; this article does not give a figure because the USCIS pages did not list one on the day we checked. If you have not paid yet, USCIS mails the green card only after you pay.
Arrival day: the I-551 stamp is your proof of status
The immigrant visa and I-551 stamp in your passport prove you are a green card holder for 1 year from the date of entry (USCIS). Go to i94.cbp.dhs.gov to check the name and class on your I-94; how to do it: How to look up your I-94.
If you start work before the green card arrives: for Form I-9, an I-94 with a temporary I-551 stamp is accepted as a receipt until the expiration date on the stamp, or 1 year after issuance if the stamp has no expiration date; after that, show your employer the green card (USCIS I-9 receipt rules).
SSN: if you checked the box on the DS-260, wait for the card
If you requested an SSN on the DS-260, you do not need to line up at SSA. SSA’s operations manual POMS RM 10205.600 says the card is mailed to the US mailing address you gave at entry; if it has not arrived 3 weeks after entry, or you changed your mailing address after entry, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 with the State Department handout ready. If you did not check the box on the DS-260, apply to SSA yourself.
Until the SSN card arrives, whether you can open a bank account depends on the bank; see The order of SSN, bank, phone, address and driver license.
Where the green card goes: update your address if it changes
The green card is mailed to the US address you gave during the immigrant visa process. USCIS says that if you move after arriving, update your address through your USCIS online account and also change it with USPS (USCIS Immigrant Fee page). Changing your address with USPS does not change it with USCIS, so do both (USCIS address change page).
Noncitizens must file AR-11 within 10 days of every move (uscis.gov/ar-11). If you first stay with friends and then move into a long-term home, that move must be reported too. How to do it: AR-11: tell USCIS within 10 days of moving; online account: USCIS online account; USPS mail forwarding: USPS mail forwarding.
If the green card has not arrived 90 days after paying or entering, USCIS asks you to use the online help form or e-Request (USCIS Immigrant Fee page).
Days 30–60: Selective Service and health insurance
⚠ Men aged 18–25: register with Selective Service within 30 days of entry
Male green card holders in this age range must register. Selective Service says male immigrants aged 18–25 must register within 30 days of arriving in the US, with late registration accepted until the 26th birthday; online registration requires an SSN (official SSS overview, who must register chart, FAQ).
Health insurance: the 60-day Special Enrollment Period
HealthCare.gov lists moving to the US from a foreign country as a Special Enrollment Period event, andyou usually have 60 days before or after the eventto enroll (official page). From 2027-01-01, Marketplace premium savings go only to green card holders, Cuban/Haitian entrants and COFA migrants, so green card holders remain eligible (HealthCare.gov).
Medicaid and CHIP generally require 5 years in qualified status; green card holders who were previously refugees or asylees have no 5-year wait; for pregnant people and children, states may remove the wait (HealthCare.gov). If you have employer coverage, ask HR for its enrollment deadline first.
First year: tax status, time abroad, conditional green cards
- Tax status: the IRS says green card holders are US tax residents starting from the first day in the year they are present in the US as a lawful permanent resident, and worldwide income must be reported; people whose status changes during the year may be dual-status (IRS page for new immigrants). Once you are a tax resident, if your foreign accounts total more than $10,000 at any time, you must file the FBAR (IRS FBAR). Tax details are covered by MONEY.
- Travel abroad: if you plan to be abroad for 1 year or more, apply for a re-entry permit on Form I-131 before leaving. USCIS also warns that any trip abroad may affect your later eligibility for citizenship (USCIS M-617).
- Conditional green card: people with a conditional green card through marriage must file I-751 within 90 days before the conditional status expires (uscis.gov/i-751).
All deadlines are collected in The newcomer deadline table. For in-depth status questions, see VISA.
If you adjusted status inside the US (I-485)
- SSN: check the SSN request on the I-765 or I-485, and the card is mailed to the address on the form; if it has not arrived about 14 days after you receive the EAD or green card, go to SSA (POMS RM 10205.700).
- Health insurance: changing from one status to another (for example refugee to green card) does not open a Special Enrollment Period (HealthCare.gov).
- AR-11: if you have a pending case, enter the receipt number for each case when you change your address online (USCIS).
Frequently asked questions
How long until the green card arrives?
USCIS does not give a fixed number of days. If it has not arrived 90 days after paying the Immigrant Fee or entering, contact USCIS.
If I do not pay the Immigrant Fee, will I lose green card status?
No, but USCIS will not mail the green card, and your only proof of status is the I-551 stamp, valid for 1 year.
I requested an SSN on the DS-260 and the card has not come. What now?
If it has not arrived 3 weeks after entry, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213.
Will green card holders still get Marketplace savings after 2027?
Yes. The statuses HealthCare.gov lists as eligible for savings from 2027 include green card holders.
How long can I stay abroad with a green card?
For a planned trip of 1 year or more, apply for a re-entry permit first. Any trip abroad may affect citizenship eligibility; for details, see VISA or a lawyer.
Free resources and My USA Plan
USCIS’s guide for new immigrants, Welcome to the United States, is free to download in 14 languages, including traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese and Korean (USCIS).
To put your SSN, bank, driver license and taxes in order, use the My USA Plan checklist: the first 30 items are free, and the full 91 items add taxes, the USCIS online account and status expiration reminders for US$9.90, a one-time purchase, not a subscription. For how to order your first 30 days by status, see First 30 days in the US: what to do by status.
Sources and date checked
All checked on 2026-10-22. This article is not legal, immigration or tax advice; for status questions, talk to a lawyer or a DOJ-accredited representative.
- USCIS Immigrant Fee: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-fees/uscis-immigrant-fee
- USCIS I-9 receipt rules:https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents/receipts
- SSA POMS on SSN applications:RM 10205.600, RM 10205.700
- USCIS address change and AR-11:https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange, https://www.uscis.gov/ar-11
- Selective Service documents:SSS101, Who Needs to Register, FAQ
- HealthCare.gov Special Enrollment Period and immigrant eligibility:Special Enrollment Period, immigration status, lawfully present immigrants
- IRS for new immigrants and FBAR:new immigrants, FBAR
- USCIS M-617 guide for green card holders:M-617.pdf
- USCIS I-751: https://www.uscis.gov/i-751
- USCIS guide for new immigrants:https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship-resource-center/civic-integration/settling-in-the-us