A green card holder is identified as being a U. S. permanent resident. This basically means they have the right to enter, exit, work, and live in the U.S for the rest of their lives. And may apply for naturalization. This article and subsequent ones will discuss eight categories of eligibility to apply for a green card.
To be eligible for a green card, an applicant needs to fall under any one of the following eight categories:
- Immediate relatives of Us citizens
- Other family members
- Preferred employees and workers
- Green card lottery: ethnic diversity
- Special immigrants
- Refuge and asylum
- Longtime residents
- Special cases
Immediate Relatives of U.S citizens – these are immediate relatives who are already citizens of the U.S and are at the top of the qualifying list for those applying for green cards. Included in this category are:
- Spouses of U.S citizens – this includes widows and widowers who recently lost their spouses. Also included are same-sex spouses as long as the marriage is legal and valid in the state or country where it happened.
- Any married people under the age of 21 with at least one U.S citizen parent
- Parents of U.S citizens, if their U.S citizen child is at least 21 years of age.
- Stepchildren and stepparents of U.S citizens – this only applies if the marriage that created this relationship happened before the child turned 18
- Adopted children of U.S citizens or permanent residents – this only applies if the adoption happened before the child turned 16 and other conditions are met.
It must be noted that there is an unlimited number of green cards available for this category.
Other family members – it must be noted that certain family members of U.S citizens or permanent residents may be eligible for green cards. These fall into the ‘preference categories’; this basically means that only a certain number (480,000) of them will receive green cards each year. The system works on a first-come-first-serve basis; therefore, the sooner the U.S citizen or permanent resident petitions under this category, the sooner the immigrant can apply for a green card. Because of a first-come-first-serve basis, there is no way to predict the waiting period linked to being able to apply for a green card. Waiting periods depend on a number of factors, such as the:
- category of the visa being asked for
- country of origin
- number of other people applying for the same type of visa from the country of origin
- the workload at immigration agencies
Therefore, it can range from no time at all to 24 years. The preference categories include the following:
- Family first preference – unmarried adults 21 years or older with at least one U.S citizen parent
- Family second preference – spouses and unmarried children (younger than 21) of a green cardholder. Unmarried children (21 years +) of a green cardholder.
- Family third preference – married people with at least one U.S citizen parent
- Family fourth preference – sisters and brothers of U.S citizens (21 years+)
For legal advice and representation with regards to applying for a green card, contact the immigration office Chula Vista.