How To Get a Green Card
How To Get A Green Card
There are several different ways to get a green card but one of the first things that everyone has to do is make an application. There are several ways to make this application but they all must go through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
One of the best ways to make an application is through the Green Card Lottery if you know that you will be immigrating to the United States within the next three years. The reason this is so is that the Green Card Lottery usually is applied for about two years out. As an example, the 2010 lottery is already finished and was applied for in 2008.
A green card allows an individual to either work in the United States or become a permanent citizen. The Green Card Lottery automatically allows an individual to have permanent resident status. Once they receive this status it will take another five years to become a U.S. citizen in most cases.
This reason is one of the ways that people have found when they are seeking how to get a green card because the process takes less time. The names in the lottery are picked randomly by computer and once everything is in order the individual is able to come to the United States easily. There are 50,000 people who are chosen each year.
How To Get a Green Card Outside of the Lottery
An individual may have an employer that is able to sponsor them and bring them to the United States permanently. This would require the individual to have a skill that could be used in the U.S. and they may have to retrain in some areas. As an example, a doctor might be able to come to the U.S. but they would not be able to be a doctor immediately in the U.S. until they had other training.
An individual can also get a green card if they have a family member living in the United States. As an example, if you are the spouse of someone already living in the U.S. who is a citizen, they can help you immigrate to the United States if they also sign an Affidavit of Support saying that they can support you at 125% above the poverty line.
If you are already in the U.S. and visiting a family member when you decide that you want to immigrate instead, how to get a green card is also a lengthy process. You can make the application to immigrate with form I-485 and submit it to the USCIS. They will process the information and give you a visa number. Once you have that number you apply again using the same form, and ask them to Adjust Status to a permanent resident.
When you have a family member who is willing to sponsor you this is the fastest way of how to get a green card if you are within the preferences that they have listed. Generally speaking, if you are a part of a family unit they will allow you to get a green card.
There are many documents that you will have to submit to USCIS with the first application. Some of these documents include:
- Biographic Data Sheet – Form G-325A
- Medical Examination Sheet – Form I-693
- 2 colored photos that are taken within 30 days
- Affidavit of Support (to be filled out by your sponsor) – Form I-864
It is important to know what you need and make sure you supply all of the information so that you do not have to wait longer for the USCIS to get more information.