今天有读者问:「我妈妈是新移民,现在在等绿卡邮寄,暂时没有工作,没有办法买奥巴马保险。我可以帮她申请白卡吗,只用几个月(不超过 12 个月)。」
- 如果是人在美国境内调整身份,I-485 批准之后会发给你 I-797 approval notice 、并同时制作绿卡。通常情况下,I-485 批准之后 30 天内你会收到 welcome notice;收到 welcome notice 之后 30 天内你会收到绿卡 [参考]。
- 如果是人在境外、领馆处理,收到移民签证之后,首次入境美国才会激活永久居民身份。若你入境美国之前已经缴纳移民签证费,入境之后 120 天内会收到绿卡;若入境之后才缴纳移民签证费,则是缴费之后 120 天内才会收到绿卡 [参考]。
在未收到绿卡之前,如果你的永久居民身份已经确立,境内调整身份有 I-797 approval notice,境外领馆处理的新移民在入境美国时会加盖临时移民章,Temporary I-551 Stamp,可用于证明你的永久居民身份,参见移民局官网说明。

注意相片下面的那行字:「Upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidence permanent residence for 1 year」 。
根据 HealthCare.gov 的说明,除了 I-551(即永久居民卡、俗称绿卡)外,I-797 和加盖临时移民章的护照/I-94 都是可以接受的移民证件 [参考],这位读者的母亲应该可以正常购买 Obamacare;若签证上的原 I-551 已经过期,请参照下文,预约当地的 USCIS field office 重新加注(有效期 1 年)。
《移民局:EAD 和绿卡的制作和发放将延迟》〔附〕Healthcare.gov 列举的移民证件如下 [检查]。我加粗了新移民可能提供的证件。
You may need to have one or more of the following documents or numbers when you apply for and enroll in Marketplace coverage. The documents you need depend on your immigration status.
- Permanent Resident Card, 「Green Card」 (I-551)
- Reentry Permit (I-327)
- Refugee Travel Document (I-571)
- Employment Authorization Document (I-766)
- Machine Readable Immigrant Visa (with temporary I-551 language)
- Temporary I-551 Stamp (on passport or I-94/I-94A)
- Arrival/Departure Record (I-94/I-94A)
- Arrival/Departure Record in foreign passport (I-94)
- Foreign Passport
- Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status (I-20)
- Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (DS-2019)
- Notice of Action (I-797)
- Document indicating membership in a federally recognized Indian tribe or American Indian born in Canada
- Certification from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
- Document indicating withholding of removal
- Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) eligibility letter (if under 18)
- Resident of American Samoa card
- Alien number (also called alien registration number or USCIS number) or I-94 number