Green Card

Green Card refers to the legal permanent resident status held by the person that authorizes him/her to live and work in United States permanently. A person holding a green card (permanent residence) is said to be a lawful permanent resident of the United Status officially enjoying full privileges of immigration and has permission to reside, work, or take up employment in any part of the country.

A person can become Green Card holder in several different ways. Some of the different categories under which one can be a Green Card holder include:

• Green Card Through Family

  A person can become a Green Card holder (permanent resident) through family members who are US citizens. You can become a green card holder if you are:

  • an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen, that includes spouses, unmarried children under 21 years of age, and parents of U.S. citizen petitioners 21 or older
  • a family member of a U.S. citizen falling into a preference category, that includes unmarried sons or daughters over 21 years of age, married children of any age, and brothers and sisters of U.S. citizen petitioners who are 21 years or older.
  • Unmarried children and spouses of the green card holder who is sponsoring them.
  • a special category member, that includes battered spouse or child (VAWA), a person born to a foreign diplomat in the United States, a K nonimmigrant, and a V nonimmigrant or a widow(er) of a U.S. Citizen
• Green Card Through Job

  A person can become a green card holder on the basis of employment or job offer. In certain categories, highly skilled workers having professional excellence in any kind of work and investors or entrepreneurs who are willing to invest in United States are given priority. Whereas certain categories in this type of immigration require U.S. Department of Labor certification that there is not enough labor in US in particular geographic area where the immigrant will be employed and this will not lead to loss of jobs for US workers. Some of the categories include:

  • Green Card Through a Job Offer

    A person can be eligible to become a permanent resident provided a job offer is made for permanent employment in the United States.

  • Green Card Through Investment

    Investors/entrepreneurs from across the world can become green card holders through this category provided they make investments in specific regional centers that lead to creation of jobs in U.S.

  • Green Card Through Self Petition

    In this category, the green card applicants need to file for themselves ("self-petition"). It is open for either "Aliens of Extraordinary Ability" or certain individuals who have been granted a National Interest Waiver.

  • Green Card Through Special Categories of Jobs

    Under this category, a person can get a green card due to the past or present job that are specialized jobs. These special categories of jobs include:

    • Afghan/Iraqi Translator
    • Broadcaster
    • International Organization Employee
    • Iraqi Who Assisted the U.S. Government
    • NATO-6 Nonimmigrant
    • Panama Canal Employee
    • Physician National Interest Waiver
    • Religious Worker
• Green Card Through Asylee or Refugee status

  A person having accepted as a refugee in U.S. can apply for green card (Permanent Residence) in United States after 1 year of admittance as refugee. Similarly, if a person has been granted an asylum status by the USCIS, then that person can apply for green card (Permanent Residence) in United States after 1 year of admittance as Asylee. The spouse and children of Asylee can also seek for green card status if they have also been granted asylum status.

• Other Ways to Receive a Green Card:

  Apart from obtaining green card through family, job, employment, asylum route, there are several different ways to get a green card (permanent residence) in the United States. However, these categories are limited to suit those individuals that are qualified and meet the specific requirements and/or apply within set time period. Some of these categories include:

  • Amerasian Child of a U.S. Citizen
  • American Indian Born in Canada
  • Armed Forces Member
  • Cuban Native or Citizen
  • Diversity Immigrant Visa Program
  • Haitian Refugee
  • Help HAITI Act of 2010
  • Indochinese Parole Adjustment Act
  • Informant (S Nonimmigrant)
  • Lautenberg Parolee
  • Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act
  • Person Born to Foreign Diplomat in United States
  • Registry
  • Section 13 (Diplomat)
  • Special Immigrant Juvenile
  • Victim of Criminal Activity (U Nonimmigrant)
  • Victim of Trafficking (T Nonimmigrant)
  • Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA)
  • Green Card through Special Categories of Jobs:
    • Afghan/Iraqi Translator
    • Broadcaster
    • International Organization Employee
    • Iraqi Who Assisted the U.S. Government
    • NATO-6 Nonimmigrant
    • Panama Canal Employee
    • Physician National Interest Waiver
    • Religious Worker
  • Green Cards Through Special Categories of Family:
    • Battered Spouse or Child (VAWA)
    • K Nonimmigrant (includes fiancé(e))
    • V Nonimmigrant
    • Widow(er)