You cannot just go and buy a Green Card; you have to be eligible for it.
Green cards are issued by USCIS (US Citizen and immigration Services) and they enable the holder to live and work in America. It doesn’t give the holder US citizenship but it is a step in the right direction if this is what you want.
The majority of people who are eligible to apply for a Green Card meet the required criteria through employment or family relationships. There is another way, and that is through the Green Card lottery system.
The most complex process in getting a Green Card is through employer sponsorship. Naturally, you have to have a confirmed job offer, and while the majority of the application is up to you to complete, there are parts of the process that need to be addressed by your prospective employer, including signatures and additional documentary proof.
The completion of this process takes around two years, though in some states like Texas and California where immigrant numbers are high, it could take a lot longer. There are three components: The Labor Certification Application; the Immigrant Petition and the Adjustment of Status. The last process takes the longest but you can begin working after the other two are completed.
If your application is refused there is no right to appeal, instead, you must start the procedure from scratch, so it pays to get professional help, which can run into a few thousand dollars.
If you are sponsored through family, including a spouse or fiancé, the application process doesn’t take as long, but there can be difficulties.
The Green Card lottery provides 55,000 people a year with the chance of getting a Green Card if all other avenues of application are closed to them. You can be living in your native country to make this kind of application, but there are still specific criteria to meet.
Green cards are issued by USCIS (US Citizen and immigration Services) and they enable the holder to live and work in America. It doesn’t give the holder US citizenship but it is a step in the right direction if this is what you want.
The majority of people who are eligible to apply for a Green Card meet the required criteria through employment or family relationships. There is another way, and that is through the Green Card lottery system.
The most complex process in getting a Green Card is through employer sponsorship. Naturally, you have to have a confirmed job offer, and while the majority of the application is up to you to complete, there are parts of the process that need to be addressed by your prospective employer, including signatures and additional documentary proof.
The completion of this process takes around two years, though in some states like Texas and California where immigrant numbers are high, it could take a lot longer. There are three components: The Labor Certification Application; the Immigrant Petition and the Adjustment of Status. The last process takes the longest but you can begin working after the other two are completed.
If your application is refused there is no right to appeal, instead, you must start the procedure from scratch, so it pays to get professional help, which can run into a few thousand dollars.
If you are sponsored through family, including a spouse or fiancé, the application process doesn’t take as long, but there can be difficulties.
The Green Card lottery provides 55,000 people a year with the chance of getting a Green Card if all other avenues of application are closed to them. You can be living in your native country to make this kind of application, but there are still specific criteria to meet.
