“Green Card” is a term used in immigration law to describe a person who has been authorized to immigrate and is authorized or eligible to receive a visa on an admissibility or hardship basis and who is legally permitted to reside in this country for an indefinite period. This person is called a “green card holder.” “Immigrant” or “foreigner” in most cases refers to someone who immigrated legally to this country from another country. The (USCIS) provides a green card to all residents as proof that they are eligible to live and work in the U.S.. If you are a permanent resident, you must have a valid U.S. green card. A green card, officially called a Permanent Resident Card, is an identification document that indicates that a person is a U.S. resident.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides a green card to all residents as proof that they have permission to stay and work in the U.S.. In case you have a permanent residence, you must always have a valid Green Card with you.
How to Become a Permanent Resident in the U.S.?
You can become a permanent resident in several ways. To apply for a green card, you must be eligible in one of the categories below.
Green card by family
If you are a relative of a U.S. citizen, you can apply for legal residence status in the U.S. This category includes relatives, wives, widows and victims of violence by a U.S. citizen.
Green card by work
You qualify for this category if you are an immigrant worker with exceptional skills in science, art, education, business, or athletics, a physician who has agreed to work full time in clinical practice for a specified period of time, an immigrant investor who has invested at least $ 1 million (or $ 500,000 in the target site) or is actively investing in a new commercial venture in the U.S. for creating to create full-time positions for at least 10 skilled employees.
As a special immigrant
This category includes:
- Religious workers registered with a religious denomination who have come to the United States to work for a non-profit religious organization.
- A minor who needs protection from juvenile justice for parental abuse/neglect.
- Afghan or Iraqi national working under the U.S. government.
- An international broadcaster who came to work in the United States as a media member for U.S. Pat. Global Media Agency (USAGM) or USAGM Grant Manager.
- An employee of an international organization or family member or a NATO-6 employee or family member.
According to refugee or asylum seeker status
You might be eligible to apply for a green asylum card if you got asylum status as a refugee at least a year back if you were admitted in the United States as a refugee.
Green Card for Trafficking in Human Beings and Victims of Crime
If you are a victim of trafficking and currently hold a T-net immigrant visa or a victim of a crime and currently hold a U-net immigrant visa, then you qualify.
Green card for victims of abuse
You may be eligible to apply as a VAWA self-payer – victim of personal injury or gross violence if:
You are an abused parent, spouse, or child of a U.S. citizen.
You are an abused spouse or child of a Cuban citizen.
If you have received your green card under the Haitian Refugee Immigrant Fairness Act (HRIFA), you may qualify as an abused spouse or legally resident child.
Green card according to other categories
You are eligible to apply for a green card in this category if you are:
- Indian born in Canada.
- A person born to a foreign diplomat in the United States.
- A Liberian citizen and have been physically resident since November 20, 2014, in the U.S.
- A Cuban native as a citizen.
- Selected for different visas in different visa lotteries by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- A person who is U.S.-based; works as a foreign diplomat or senior official and cannot return home.
Green card via Registry
If a person has lived in the U.S. since January 1, 1972, they are eligible to apply for a green card.
How to Apply
Know about the internal and external processes:
If you are eligible to apply in any of the above categories, which process to choose – that is the first thing you must check. A status adjustment needs to be done by living in the U.S. itself, and consular processing is needed for candidates living outside the U.S.. You can also take help from professional consultants.
Immigrant petition
You need to submit an immigrant petition for you, often called sponsorship. In some cases, you can do it yourself, depending on your ability.
USCIS Green Card Application
Once USCIS has approved your immigrant application, and you have a visa in your category, you must submit a visa application to the U.S. State Department or an application for a USCIS green card. You must submit an I-485 form, which includes all the fees and supporting documents.
Biometric Meeting
You must attend a biometric meeting to be provided with fingerprints, photographs, and a signature.
Interview
USCIS will then review your application and conduct an interview with your plans.
Ruling
In the end, you will be able to get the result and it will stay valid for 10 years after it is issued.
In the United States, citizens may apply for through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The application process typically takes about 3-4 weeks. When applying for citizenship, you will need to fill out the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and fill in the appropriate information on the form.
Make sure to check your local paper for any changes that may affect your application. Visit the Immigration and Nationality Service website to apply or to find your area of residence. Once they are issued, there is no further processing.
