The United States Green Card Process

A green card is officially known as a Legal Permanent Resident card and allows you to live and work in the U.S. permanently. After obtaining your green card, you no longer need a visa to come to the U.S.

There are many benefits to having your green card:

• Reside legally in the United States
• Buy a home or real estate
• Travel between the United States and your home country without a visa
• Obtain employment in the United States without a work visa or work authorization
• Start and operate your own business in the U.S.
• Study in the U.S. without a student visa
• Sponsor your family members for immigration visas
• Apply to become a U.S. citizen after three, four or five years, depending on your eligibility

There are several ways to get your green card. Most immigrants obtain green cards when a close family member or an employer sponsors them. There are other paths, too. For example, immigrants recognized as refugees or special immigrants, victims of abuse, and human trafficking may also qualify for a green card.

Most immigrants receive their green cards through family member sponsorship:

• Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens: Immediate relative refers to a spouse, a child under 21 who is unmarried, or a U.S. citizen’s mother or father. U.S. citizens must be 21 years old or older to sponsor their parents. There is no limit on the number of green cards the government can issue in this category.
• Other family members of U.S. citizens: Children of U.S. citizens who are married or 21 and over qualify. The brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens also qualify. However, grandparents, uncles, and aunts do not qualify. People applying under this category must wait for a visa number to become available, this is known as the “priority date”.
• Fiances(e)s of American citizens: U.S. citizens can petition the government to allow a fiance(e) to come to the U.S. However, the foreign national and the U.S. citizen must get married within 90 days of their arrival. After marriage, the U.S. citizen can petition their spouse for a green card.
• Widow(er)s of American citizens: If a U.S. citizen files the green card application for a spouse but dies before approval, the foreign national can still get their green card.

The Indianapolis, IN, immigration attorneys at Villarrubia & Rosenberger, P.C., can help you obtain your green card and assist with other complex immigration matters. Many of our attorneys and their families have personally dealt with the U.S. immigration system and understand what you’re going through. Please speak to us today by filling out our online contact form.