How many days do I have to enter the US after my immigrant visa is issued?

There is no fixed number of days counted from the issuance date. What controls your entry is the expiration date printed on the immigrant visa itself: you must enter the United States by that date, including if you hold an EB-2 NIW visa. The first thing to do when you receive the document is to carefully check the deadline printed on it.

This validity period is typically tied to the medical examinations required during the consular process, so the available window is determined on a case-by-case basis and appears directly on the visa. Do not rely on a general ‘number of days’ rule: what governs your travel is the specific date on your document.

If that deadline passes, the visa becomes invalid and additional steps may be required to address the situation. Since rules and timelines change and each case has its own particularities, the safest approach is to confirm the date on your visa and verify the latest guidance with USCIS or the consulate before scheduling your entry.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.