How to Apply for a Green Card
When you apply for a green card, also known as a permanent resident card, you're applying for proof of an your individual lawful, permanent residence in the US. Green cards are issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and give the holders the right to live and work in the US, and leave the country for business or vacation. A green card is not the same as U.S. citizenship, but it is a critical step on the path to citizenship (after having yours for four years and nine months you can apply to be a naturalized citizen of the US). There are several ways to apply for a green card, so it’s important to understand all of your options before you apply.
Requirements to Get a Green Card
Most people will qualify for green card eligibility on the basis of employment, family relationships, or meeting the criteria for the green card lottery system. Check your eligibility for one all of these categories at the USCIS Web site.
Employer Sponsorship
Obtaining employer sponsorship for your green card application is one of the more complex green card application processes. First, you’ll need to obtain a job offer from a U.S. company who is willing to sponsor your green application. While most of the paperwork will fall to you to complete, there are points during the process where you’ll need the employer’s signatures and cooperation in providing additional documentation relating to your employment.
There are three steps that comprise employer sponsorship of your green card: the Labor Certification Application, the Immigrant Petition and the Adjustment of Status. The estimate timeframe to complete all three steps in this green card sponsorship process is approximately two years. However, these applications are processed by region so timeframes may be much longer in areas like California or Texas where the immigrant population is high. The Adjustment of Status typically takes the longest of the three applications, but you can begin working after you complete the Labor Certification Application and Immigrant Petition.
Green Cards & Work Visas Articles, Videos & HowTos
Determine the U.S. work visa class relevant to your employment. Next, either have your U.S. employer submit Form I-129 to obtain permission for application or complete your application. Submit completed applications at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country where you'll undergo fingerprinting and an interview.
Green cards establish an immigrant's lawful, permanent residence and right to work in the US. Most people are eligible for a green card on the basis of employment, family relationships, or green card lottery system. Be sure you understand which application method you're eligible for so your application's not denied.
Getting the coveted green card is difficult for many immigrants. While many immigrants, fraudsters and Hollywood screenwriters perceive a marriage as the fast track to a green card, it isn’t as easy as you think, no matter how in love you are.
Green cards allow an immigrant to prove that he has lawful permission to live and work in the United States. Many immigrants go through the three-step application process that can take several years to complete.
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, better known as the green card lottery, is a system by which immigrants achieve the status of a Lawful Permanent Resident.
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