US Green Card approved: Applicant details ‘painful’ journey and ‘waiting game’ amid Trump crackdown

What is a Green Card?

The US government issues Green Card, also called Permanent residence cards, which provide its holders legal resident status. This status offers a route to US citizenship after a predetermined amount of time (usually three to five years) and permits the person to reside and work in the country permanently.

Also Read: December US visa bulletin: Key deadlines for applicants released, relief for Indians as EB-1, EB-2 dates move forward

Applicant describes ‘painful’ waiting process

The individual, who got married in Canada in 2000, initiated the immigration process after the petition was filed in August 2023. “The waiting process was painful to say the least. Originally the timeline said a few months, then when that was down to 1 week (late 2023) it was extended and no date was given,” the post mentioned. Although plans to relocate to the US in the spring or summer of 2024 did not come to fruition, the applicant managed to visit the US as a Canadian citizen and spent the period from June to early October 2024 in the country without any complications. However, HT.com cannot independently verify the authenticity of the Redditor’s claim.

Also Read: US recruiter reveals why F-1, OPT, and H-1B visa holders face setbacks in American job market

I-130 petition and DS-260 Visa application process

The I-130 petition received approval in late November 2024, prompting the applicant to initiate the DS-260 Visa application process. The application was submitted in mid-December. However, it initially contained an incorrect police background check. “Fast forward a few weeks and I received the correct background check, and submitted that. A week later the Visa was conditionally approved (Feb 2025) and now the waiting game for the interview,” the post detailed.

By July 11, 2025, the interview was set for September 11 in Montreal. The necessary medical examination was conducted early in Vancouver during a visit to the US.

Green card approval

The interview proceeded without any issues in September, and by September 25, the passport and visa were available for collection, with a deadline of December 11, 2025, for entry into the US. The applicant entered the country by land on October 23, remarking that the process took approximately an hour, “but I suspect if I didn’t have a vehicle to import, and a U-Haul full of our belongings, it would have taken much less time.”

According to the user’s claim, USCIS instructed the release of the Green Card on October 30, the Social Security Number was received on November 3, and the Green Card itself was delivered on November 10.

“All in all, this felt like a long process, but I guess short considering some of the stories you read on here,” the post concluded, providing encouragement to others who are navigating the US immigration system amid Trump crackdown.