1. What is a Green Card?
A Green Card is a card that shows that you are authorized by the United States government to permanently live and work in the United States.
2. How do I obtain a Green Card?
There are several ways to obtain a Green Card. Being able to become a permanent resident depends on a number of factors such as if you are living inside or outside the U.S. and if you have a special status such as refugee status. The three main ways of obtaining a green Card are through family already in the United States, through having a job offer and through being a refugee or a candidate for political asylum.
3. Family Sponsorship
If you already have a relative in the United States who is either a U.S. citizen or a Permanent Resident they may be able to help you gain entrance. A citizen can file an I-130 Form, Petition for Alien Relative, for an immediate relative, a parent, child or spouse, which request residency for a relative abroad. Additionally relatives in the United States may be able to request a change in their citizenship status and may not have to return to their home country.
4. Employment/ Job Offer
A prospective employer in the United States may take it upon themselves to file an I-140 Form, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, for you. Additionally there are situations in which one is able to self petition or if one falls into a special category of jobs he may be able given entrance even without employer sponsorship.
5. How do I Gain Citizenship?
Naturalization is the term that describes the process of gaining citizenship in the United States. The general guidelines are that a person has to have lived in the United States for at least 5 years as a permanent resident. Shorter durations are possible if you have a spouse who is a U.S. citizen or have served in the armed forces of the United States. The general form for naturalization is the N-400 Form.
6. Do I Have to Take a Test in Order to Complete Gain Citizenship
Yes, the test consists of a short interview in English and a requirement of the ability to write a few sentences in English. The other part of the test consists of ten questions of U.S. Civics.
7. How do I qualify to become a Permanent Worker
The United States allows only 140,000 permanent workers in each year. It is therefore highly competitive and is beneficial to fall into one of the preferred workers categories of the U.S. government. There are five general categories which can be summarized as people with advanced degrees, especially in the sciences, businessmen who have invested at least have a million dollars and those workers who have worked in international organizations or foreign United States post. It is otherwise difficult to gain entry as a permanent worker without proof of employment prior to entry into the United States.
- Are there Special Categories for Students who wish to Study in the united States
Yes there are. The United States differentiates foreign students into two categories. Those who are here for academic purposes are designated ‘F’ Visas, while those here for vocational learning receive ‘M’ Visas. Those participating in a student exchange program may be granted ‘J’ Visas.
- Can I change my non-immigrant status to another non-immigrant status?
Yes, you may apply for a change of status. While awaiting the decision you must not assume that your application will be accepted. If you violate your current status’ qualifications, you may be subject to deportation and not allowed to return to the United States.
