Green card approved but not received

[Marinadiom]

Hi, my mom got her green card approved and she entered the US. It’s been more than 30 days and her card hasn’t arrived in the mail but her social security number did. Where can I check the status of the green card? I tried calling Uscis but they ask for receipt number, and I only have my mom’s foreign interview case and invoice numbers. Can someone advise?

[newacct]

Did she pay the $235 immigrant fee?

It doesn't matter if she has the card right now. When she entered the US with her immigrant visa, her immigrant visa automatically turned into an I-551, equivalent to a green card for all purposes, until 1 year after her entry. So she doesn't need to worry about not having the card until it's almost a year after her entry.

[Marinadiom]

Did she pay the $235 immigrant fee?

It doesn't matter if she has the card right now. When she entered the US with her immigrant visa, her immigrant visa automatically turned into an I-551, equivalent to a green card for all purposes, until 1 year after her entry. So she doesn't need to worry about not having the card until it's almost a year after her entry.

Oh that’s so helpful! Yes, I paid the fee right away after she got approved.

[Marinadiom]

Is she allowed to leave the country? She needs to go back to her home country to address a few outstanding issues. Will she have problems being admitted back if she doesn’t have a physical green card on her? She also has a multi year tourist visa but I’m not sure that is valid anymore now that she has her green card approved.

[newacct]

Is she allowed to leave the country? She needs to go back to her home country to address a few outstanding issues. Will she have problems being admitted back if she doesn’t have a physical green card on her? She also has a multi year tourist visa but I’m not sure that is valid anymore now that she has her green card approved.

Yes. As a US permanent resident, she can take brief trips abroad at any time. She will not have problems being admitted back to the US. Like I said, she has an immigrant visa which turned into an I-551 (equivalent to a green card, which is also an I-551 document) valid until 1 year after her entry. (Her immigrant visa has a line on it that says, "upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year". The entry stamp she got upon entry was the "endorsement".) She can use this just like a green card for any purpose that a green card can be used for, including for work, entry to the US, driver's licenses, etc., until 1 year after her entry.