Advantages of Green Card Holders

Each year, tens of thousands of individuals travel to, live in, and work in the United States. America is after all referred to as the Land of Opportunity. However, a person will need to secure a valid visa or Green Card to travel to or finally settle in the United States. This can be accomplished by a variety of routes, some leading to temporary housing and others to permanent housing. The most common ways to relocate to the USA as of 2018 are listed below.

Green card, what it’s all about.

An alien who does not possess a U.S. citizen is to be granted permanent residency in the US. Because it would enable them to live and work (legally) anywhere in the country and qualify them for citizenship after three or five years, many people from outside the United States desire a green card. Boundless provides green card support without the exorbitant cost if you’re wanting to apply. Find out more about the assistance we offer.

More than a million green cards are issued by the American government each year. Family members of U.S. citizens and current holders of green cards receive the majority of these benefits, with foreign workers looking for work in the country coming in second.

Timeline for Green Cards

Depending on the sort of green card you’re looking for and where you’re applying from, the processing period can range from 7 to 56 months.

APPLYING FROM WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

For spouses and immediate relatives (parents and minor children) of U.S. citizens applying from within the United States through adjustment of status, the wait is currently 21-38 months. For spouses of U.S. green card holders, other relatives of U.S. citizens, and employment-based green cards, the wait can be much longer, typically two years or more.

Let Shankar Lawyers help you get started on your adjustment of status application today!

APPLICANTS RESIDING OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES

The current wait time for spouses and close family members (parents and minor children) of U.S. citizens applying through consular processing from outside the country is 7–34 months. Country caps apply to all other green card categories, and processing times range widely.

Costs of a Green Card

For a family-based green card, the government filing cost is $1,760 for applicants submitting from within the United States and $1,200 for applicants submitting from abroad. Notably, the price of the medical exam, which varies depending on the provider, is not included. Find out how much a family-based green card will cost.

Check the USCIS website for your specific form’s fee for information on other green card categories.

Need support? At Shankar Law Office, an accomplished immigration lawyer will analyze your green card application and respond to any of your inquiries at no additional charge. Start working on your application right away!

Different Green Card Types

Green Card categories

The various types of green cards are numerous. The most typical kinds are:

• Family-Based Green Card
• Employment-Based Green Card
• Humanitarian Green Cards
• Diversity Lottery Green Card
• Longtime-Resident Green Card
• Other Green Cards

Green Card based on family:

Close relatives of American citizens and current green card holders are eligible to apply for their family-based green cards. Included on the list of eligible family members are spouses, kids, parents, and siblings (as well as the spouses and children of those spouses, adult children, and siblings).

Widows and widowers who were married to a U.S. citizen at the time of the citizen’s passing are also included in this group. Widows and widowers must demonstrate that their marriage was genuine to be granted a green card, just like spouses of living U.S. citizens and present green card holders who apply for a marriage-based green card.

Numerous members of the extended family, such as cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents, are not eligible. Only if they also have a close family who is an American citizen or a current holder of a green card are they eligible to apply for one (or qualify for one of the other types of green cards below).

You can get a green card with the aid of Boundless. We make it simple to finish your green card application and steer clear of typical issues. Start your application right away or find out more about Boundless.

Green Card Based on Employment

Several types of workers may apply for permanent residency under the employment-based green card category. In some circumstances, their spouses and kids may also be eligible for a green card.

The following table lists the employment-based subcategories and the types of jobs that fall under them:

Priority workers (EB-1) 

Positions in the arts, sciences, education, business, and athletics that require extraordinary* Ability

Outstanding professors and researchers

Multinational managers and executives

Professionals with advanced degrees and exceptional abilities (EB-2)  

Positions requiring at least a master’s degree

Positions requiring at least a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree, plus at least five years relevant experience

Positions in the sciences, arts, or business requiring exceptional* Ability

Positions of national interest

Physicians (EB-2 with a special waiver)

Physicians who agree to work full-time in underserved areas for a specific period and meet other eligibility criteria

Skilled, unskilled, and professional workers (EB-3)

Skilled positions that require a minimum of two years training or experience that is not temporary or seasonal

Unskilled positions that require less than two years training or experience that is not temporary or seasonal

Professional positions that require at least a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree from a U.S. university or college or the equivalent of this degree from a non-U.S. school

Special workers (EB-4)

Media professionals

Religious workers and ministers

Afghanistan and Iraq nationals who have served the U.S. government under certain capacities

Certain other employees, retirees, and their family members

Investors (EB-5)

Non-U.S. nationals who have invested or are investing at least $1 million (or $500,000 in a high-unemployment or rural area) in a new U.S. business that will create full-time positions for at least 10 workers

*Extraordinary ability is demonstrated “through sustained national or international acclaim. Your achievements must be recognized in your field through extensive documentation,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

**Exceptional ability refers to “a degree of expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered” in your field.