Foreign nationals who obtain their immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad are required to pay a $165 USCIS immigrant fee in order to obtain their actual permanent resident card after they are admitted as lawful permanent resident. USCIS has an online, USCIS Electronic Immigration System to pay this fee. While USCIS encourages that the foreign national pay this fee after the individual receives the immigrant visa packet from the U.S. embassy or consulate abroad (including Canada and Mexico) and before departure for the United States to avoid a delay in issuance of the card, we recommend that the foreign national pay the fee after the consular interview and after the immigrant visa has been approved by the consular official. USCIS instructions and FAQs on paying the USCIS immigrant fee are available at http://www.uscis.gov/tools/how-do-i-customer-guides/how-do-i-pay-uscis-immigrant-fee.