There are four main ways for you to become a green card holder which allows you the right to legally work and live in the U.S. permanently. These four categories are as follows:
- Green card through family
- Green card through job
- Green card through refugee or asylee status
- Other ways to get a green card
If you wish to sponsor a family member, there are a few categories of people that may be sponsored for a green card. This includes,
- Immediate family such as,
o Spouses
o Unmarried children under the age of 21
o Parents of a U.S. citizen who has reached the age of majority (21)
- Family members in a preference category, this may be,
o Unmarried sons or daughters over the age of twenty one
o Married children of any age
o Brothers or sisters of a U.S. citizen who has reached the age of majority (21)
- Family member of green card holders including only,
o Spouses
o Unmarried children
- Family members in the special category such as,
o Widow(er) of a U.S. citizen
o Battered spouse or children
o Person born to foreign diplomat
o Fiancée
There are a few ways for you to gain access to a green card through an occupation,
- Through a job offer
- Through investment
- Through a self-petition
- Through special categories
If you were admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or a family member of an asylee, or you were granted asylum, you can apply for a green card after one year.
- If you were entered as a refugee or family member of an asylee, it is one year after you entered the U.S.
- If you were granted asylum, it is one year after you were granted asylum
Other ways to get a green card consists of all the special categories. As mentioned above, in the family class and green card through a job, there were special categories. All special categories fall into “other ways to get a green card”. There are three main categories in this class,
- Special categories of family
o Fiancée
o Widow(er)
- Special categories of jobs
o Armed forces member
o Religious worker
- Other green card programs
o Haitian refugee
o Victim of trafficking
If you require further information regarding how to obtain a green card and the processes, contact Akrami & Associates today. With the aid of our legal team, there is always a way.