There are a lot of people, from outside the United States, who dream to get their green cards for a variety of reasons but mainly because the green card would allow them to live and work lawfully anywhere in the United States. It would also make them qualified for US citizenship after about 3 to 6 years.
A green card is really a big deal that in fact, every year, the US government issues more than a million. Most green cards are being given to US citizens’, and current green card holders’, family members. Next to these are workers from other countries looking for employment in the United States which are considered as the next biggest group of recipients.
The best way to apply for a green card is to find and use an attorney for green card that will help you process your application quickly and efficiently
Green Card Categories
These are categories depending on the eligibility to get a green card. To apply for a green card, you must be eligible under one of the categories listed below. Once you know the category that you belong to, you should also get the information on eligibility requirements, how to apply, and if your family members can also apply with you.
It is also advisable to seek the expertise of a qualified immigration lawyer to give proper information on green cards and make it easier for you to handle obstacles and secure your residency. It is actually easy now to get legal expert advice from different sources. One form of source, that is universally accessible to offer legal help, is via the internet. There are online legal aid sites available for your perusal.
These are the types of green cards
Family-Based Green Cards
Family members, and close relatives of US citizens (and current green card holders), are eligible to apply for family-based green cards. This is also considered as the most common way for people to become permanent residents of the US. As a United States citizen, whether by birth or by legal status, they can proceed to file a petition for their family members to receive a green card for permanent residency.
The process is actually easiest for immediate family members, including:
- A spouse
- Unmarried children under the age of 21
- Parents of a US citizen who is over 21 years old
- A US citizen’s stepparents (if married before the child turned 18)
- A US citizen’s stepchildren (if married before the children turned 18)
- An adopted child (if adopted before age 16)
For the other family categories, green card applications are more stringent and not usually fast-tracked. Although distant relatives are considered, the US family member must petition on behalf of the applicant and must be able to prove that the relatives can be financially supported by the sponsoring US citizen. Also, their citizenship status and their relationship to the person they are sponsoring must be verifiable. Hiring an immigration lawyer can prove useful in this case.
Employment-Based Green Card
There is a multitude of processes in determining green card eligibility through employment and must be initiated by the employer.
Every year, the US government gives 140,000 employment-based green cards to different categories based on percentage. The processing time is different depending on the demand for that green card. This type of green card is also processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, there is a catch here. For entrepreneurs or investors seeking green card, the government may issue a conditional permanent residence green card. It is typically valid for two years. You can click fl-ilc.com to learn more about the conditional permanent residence in US. Nonetheless, this conditional residence would entitle you to same benefits as regular green card, except you’ll need to initiate a petition to remove the conditions before your card expires.
If you want to make the processing time shorter, make sure that all your documents are well-ordered, and you double-check your application for mistakes. If there are mistakes or missing documents, the application will be sent back; extending the processing time even further.
Special Immigrant Green Card
This kind of green card is designed for workers that have the capacity to increase the productivity and diversity of the country but are not covered by the employment-based green card.
Each year, only 10,000 special immigrant green cards are available. Religious workers are not eligible for more than half of this reserve.
Categories who might qualify under a special immigrant green card:
- Unmarried children under 21 (in need of protection/services)
- Religious organizations workers (employed for at least 2 years)
- Foreign medical graduates (who have been in the US since before 1978)
Investment-Based Green Card
Application for an investment-based green card, also known as EB-5, is limited to 10,000 per year. 3,000 are reserved for applicants investing in areas with high unemployment, or from areas of rural development.
These investment-based green cardholders must invest $1 million in a new, restructured, or expanded US business. $500,000 if the business is in a determined economically disadvantaged community. Holders are entitled to appeal for permanent residency with their spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21.
Green Card Through Asylum Protection
The eligibility for a green card through asylum protection is for people who have faced persecution from countries where they came from or are facing future persecution based on nationality, opinions on politics, race, religion, or social group, is eligible for asylum protection in the United States. These rules are also applied to refugee seekers. Refugees are people outside their country who are unable or unwilling to return home because of the fear of being seriously harmed.
Unlike the other green card categories, there is no limit to the annual number of applicants for asylum protection. Approved refugees and asylees may remain in the country for an unspecified time or until the persecution stop. People under these two categories are eligible after one year.
Green Card Eligibility Through A Registry
This is applicable to immigrants living in the US continuously since January 1972 (either lawfully or unlawfully) and eligible for naturalization. These are required to be presented: birth certificate, government-issued photo ID, evidence they entered the US before January 1972 and maintained their residence in the US since their arrival.
Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) is required to be filled out, and they should also have applied for a work permit while their case is in the process using Form I-765.
Green Card For Longtime Residents
Residents of more than 10 years are entitled to request permanent residence. Proof of imminent hardship if deported must be evidenced to meet the criteria for a longtime resident exemption.
Green Card Processing Time
How long does it take to have a green card be processed? Usually, it takes 7 to 33 months to process a green card. The processing time also depends on what kind of green card you are applying for, the location where it would be processed, and other factors.
- Family-based green card – 1 to 10 years processing time (It also depends on the yearly caps).
- Yearly caps – It means that for a particular green card, only a few who applied each year will get it. After reaching the yearly cap, the people who applied that year but did not get to the application process must wait until the next period.
- Green card through marriage – 10 to 13 months
- Employment-based green card – 1 year processing time for green cards with low demands and 4 to 6 years for those with high demands
Once you are awarded a green card, it is important to keep it updated. Once it became invalid, it would be difficult for you to prove your residency status and be accepted for employment in the US.
It is highly recommended to start the process of renewing your green card 5 to 6 months before it expires.
Postponing your green card renewal can impact a lot of things in your life including your employment, travel opportunities outside the US, your driver’s license renewal, and even your home mortgage process.
