Exact Answer: 2 weeks to several months
GC is a commonly used abbreviation that stands for the US Green Card. It is a permanent resident card that is issued by the American government. Essentially, the card shows that the individual in question is a permanent resident of the United States of America and the card can be used as a type of identity proof in the States.
The GC issuing process is deemed to be quite long. One of the final steps involves an in-person interview that is held at the USCIS office. The GC applicant is met in-person to verify his or her documents and determine if the person is fit for the card.
How Long To Get GC After Interview?
Getting a Green Card as proof of identity and residence in the United States takes a considerable amount of time. Moreover, there are a number of variables that determine the total time taken to successfully process the application even after the interview is completed. The outcome of the interview determines the time taken for GC to arrive.
Generally, the applicant is informed of this at the end of the session if the interview was successful. In such cases, applicants can expect to get their GCs within 2 to 3 weeks of the interview. This may sometimes take up to a month.
Contrarily, if the government does not approve your application after the interview, USCIS can ask you to return for a second interview for further verification. In this case, you will be notified about the same by the department.
Sometimes the USCIS may not call the applicant for a second interview but may ask for additional information. This is known as RFE or a Request for Evidence, one that needs to be submitted before the lapse of the final date. This may delay your GC arrival by months. Alternatively, the government may also decide to review some aspects of your documents and interview again, delaying the arrival of GC by months.
Lastly, the government can also outright deny an application for GC after the interview. Chances of this are rare but it does happen. In such an event, the person in question will not receive the GC anytime soon before the decision is challenged by an appeal from a skilled immigration lawyer.
In Summary
| Interview Outcomes | Period of Waiting |
| Approved Application | 2-3 weeks |
| Additional Information Demanded | Few months |
Why Does It Take So Long To Get GC After Interview?
The time taken for GC to arrive will be hinged on how the interview of the applicant went. In cases where the interview goes well, the delay in GC arrivals is because the department is overworked. It may also be a result of mailing delays. Lags in the mailing system may sometimes delay the arrival of one’s GC.
However, if the person is asked to return for a second interview, then the whole process of in-person verification is set to be repeated this will take up to a couple of months. Similarly, when the RFE is demanded by the department, it takes time to cross-verify the documents submitted by the person.
In cases where the state decides to interrogate the history and background of the person more thoroughly, the arrival of GCs can be pushed back by several months. This is because all these processes of scrutiny and cross-examination are quite time-consuming and arduous.
In the event that the application is rejected outright, the individual must hire an immigration lawyer experienced enough to handle the process of appealing. This can delay GC arrivals with fresh interviews and verifications by a year.
Thus, the internal working of the department and the processual manner of its operation are responsible for the delay of GC arrivals. If the documents of the individual are all in order, then the interview may be successful in the first go and this can reduce the time significantly. This is the best way to avoid any slags in the process.
Conclusion
The GC interview is deemed to be the final stage of the process. Once you have arrived at the interview the USCIS officer conducting it will let you know if your application has been sanctioned or canceled. This allows for sufficient clarity for the person in question.
Generally, applicants may have to wait for quite some time before they finally receive their Green Cards through the mail. The waiting period is more or less indefinite. However, on average, successful applicants receive their cards within a few weeks. For some, it may sometimes take months to arrive through the mail.