The Green Card is another term used for Legal Permanent Residency in the United States. Many people from different countries look forward to the day that they will get a chance to own a Green Card. According to Ashoori Law, these are some of the different ways you can acquire permanent residence in the U.S.
Petition or Through a Family Member
If you do have a close relative in the United States and he/she happens to be a U.S. Citizen or a Green Card Holder, they can file the petition for you.
Green Card holders are given a chance to petition their spouses, their children who are under 21 years of age and are unmarried, and also your parents who are over the age of 21 years old. It is necessary and essential that Petition documents are completed, and the correct procedures for filing them have been followed. They can also request their fiance to be under this category request.
For any relatives that been over the age of 21 years old and have been married, you might want to set their expectation that the waiting time for processing their petition documents might take longer before they can get a Green Card. For exceptional cases where the individual being petitioned is a sibling, this might take longer than usual too.
After the petitioner processes or files the USCIS Form I-130 Petition for an Alien Relative, he must then file a follow-up document called Form I-485 Adjustment of Status. Some lawyers would suggest that you process it all together instead of doing it separately.
There also cases that immigrants are provided with Green Cards, but these cases are rare and uncommon. A form called USCIS Form I-360 Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant that one can file and submit if the petitioner is a battered spouse or an abused child, a widow or a widower, of a green card holder or a U.S. Citizen. In some cases, children of a foreign diplomat but were born in the United States are considered under this category.
Due to Employment in the United States
Although the employer can file this petition for an employee or incoming employee, it does not guarantee a one hundred percent immediate approval. USCIS will possibly require a petitioner to provide documentation regarding the type of job, employment, investments, or specialization of the green card applicant. This can be processed for immigrants who are being offered permanent employment in the United States.
Investors who meet the investment amount of at least $1,000,000 into a new business or $500,000 into a business in a targeted employment area can then apply for a green card. One crucial additional requirement is that the business should have created ten permanent employee jobs with or without a contract, and the business needs to be in the United States.
People who work overseas but their job designation is connected or if they work for the U.S Government, such as Afghan or Iraqi translators, can also apply for a green card. Nobel Prize Winners, Olympic Athletes, Locally and Internationally acclaimed scientists and professionals who are being offered job placements in the United States are also considered under this specific category.
Immigrants due to being a Refugee or Asylee
Either a refugee or asylee has been living in the United States for more than a year; they are allowed to apply for a green card. Asylees, however, do not need to undergo the normal process of submitting and providing documents themselves as long as someone can provide proof that they are considered as an asylee, they would get a Green Card.
Diversity Immigrant Visa, a.k.a. Visa or Green Card Lottery
The Immigration Act of 1990 established the current and permanent Diversity Visa program. It is a lottery that is administered by the Department of State and conducted under the Immigration and Nationality Act that provides a chance for 55,000 immigrants to be provided a visa.
The United States does this every year to diversify the immigrant population in the United States. Applicants are selected from countries with low numbers of immigrants in the previous five years. It is said that up to 23 million people apply for the lottery each year.
Getting a Green Card or Permanent residency in the United States may take some patience. Sometimes a lot of it. Always seek assistance with Immigration Lawyers or Attorneys to help you process your application properly to avoid any further delays with your application.
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