U.S. Green Card (or Permanent Resident Card), foreign nationals may live and work in the country permanently. Pursuing a visa may take time and be challenging, though expert advice allows you to handle it well. In this guide, we’ll help you learn everything that is required for a Green Card application.
Step 1: Determine Your Eligibility
Before you apply, make sure you have chosen the correct category for your situation.
Family-Based Green Card — For relatives of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents who are immediate family.
E-3 Category Green Card — For people who have a job waiting for them or who are highly skilled.
Diversity Lottery — Intended for people from nations with few immigrants living in the United States
Refugee or Asylee Status: For people who have been granted asylum or refugee status.
Special Categories: refers to people affected by abuse, crime, or human trafficking.
Step 2: File the Immigrant Petition
Most people must be sponsored by a friend or relative to file an immigrant petition.
Form I-130 (Family-Based): I-130 is the form family-based immigrants use, filed by U.S. citizens or Green Card owners for a family member.
Form I-140 (Employment-Based): A U.S. employer fills out the form when the worker is from abroad.
Form I-360 or Others: For special classes of immigrants, the application is called Form I-360 or equivalent.
Step 3: Wait for the Priority Date to Become Current
You are given a priority date when you file a petition which places you in the queue. Don’t forget to review the monthly Visa Bulletin to see what the now current priority dates are.
Family members of U.S. citizens don’t have to wait for a priority date.
Step 4: File Form I-485 or Go Through Consular Processing
If you submit within the U.S., you’ll take on option A; outside the U.S., you’ll take on option B:
A. If you are already located in the U.S.:
Sent your I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
Send along your birth certificate, passport, and Form I-693 with your other paperwork.
Submit the required money for applying.
B. If you are outside the United States:
Make sure you wait for the National Visa Center (NVC) to plan your interview.
Make sure you complete all the sections in Form DS-260.
Have your visa interview at an embassy or consulate of the U.S.
Step 5: Attend Biometrics Appointment
A notice will let you know when you need to come for fingerprinting, a picture, and your signature. This is to help USCIS screen you.
Step 6: Attend the Interview
Know that an officer will want to meet with you to verify your files and ask questions. Always carry original versions of your documents and a copy of each.
Step 7: Receive a Decision
One of these will appear in your email:
Approval Notice –Your Green Card will arrive at your mailing address.
Request for Evidence (RFE) — If the agency needs more information, it will issue an RFE.
Denial –You can either appeal or reapply using the stated reasons as your basis.
Step 8: Receive Your Green Card
As soon as it’s approved, your Green Card will be sent to you in the mail. Usually, a green card is good for 10 years (but for conditional residents like recent marriage-based applicants, it is good for 2).
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