Qualifying for a green card is one of the biggest challenges immigrants face. Living in the United States seems like a dream to many. This is because the law specifies what categories of people are eligible for green cards and the government limits the number of cards given out every year. If an immigrant wishes to live in the United States, they must become a lawful permanent resident.
With this status, an immigrant can live in the U.S. permanently as long as they don’t commit crimes or other violations that result in deportation. If you have been looking to become a lawful permanent resident in the United States, the first thing you should do is seek immigration legal help from one of the best immigration lawyers on the west coast.
Usually, the application process of a green card is lengthy and difficult. There are several categories of green cards, but regardless of where you fall, you may still be found inadmissible. The U.S. immigration laws are so complex because they are meant to protect the U.S. from people perceived to be a risk.
These people may be past immigration violators, criminals, people with communicable health problems, and people with an inability to support themselves financially, among others. These are some of the grounds of inadmissibility. The majority of the time, however, people looking to immigrate to the U.S. are just average people. Let’s take a look at a few green card categories these everyday people can apply for.
1. Immediate relatives
This is the most widely used category. Immediate relatives include spouses, recent widows or widowers, children under the age of 21, and adopted children as long as they were adopted before 16 years of age. Stepchildren and step-parents also count if the marriage occurred when the children were under the age of 18.
The U.S. does not limit the number of immediate relatives that can receive green cards every year. If you have a relative in this category, you could benefit from getting immigration legal help from a professional immigration attorney.
2. Employees and workers
A certain number of green cards are available for people who have job skills required in the U.S. job market. If you have skills that employers are having a hard time finding in U.S. workers, then you may be able to get a green card. In most cases, you need to have a job offer from an employer and they should actively participate in your application process.
With a job offer and a professional immigration attorney to offer immigration legal help, your chances of getting an approval will be much higher.
There are three categories in which you don’t need a job offer. If you are an investor, a worker with extraordinary ability, or exceptional ability, you may qualify for a green card without a job offer. However, this process may take a long time, which makes it necessary to get immigration legal help from a professional attorney.
3. Diversity visa
Also known as the green card lottery, the U.S. offers a program in which 50,000 green cards are up for grabs every year. Only citizens from specific countries qualify and they need to meet certain educational qualities to get the green card. Millions of people apply in this category because the application is free.
However, this drastically minimizes the chances of winning. Even if you win, without the right immigration legal help from a professional attorney, you may be left out of the cycle due to the slow-moving process.
4. Special immigrants
Special immigrants include religious workers, foreign medical graduates, and former international U.S. government workers. People declared dependent in juvenile court or service people with more than 12 years of duty also qualify.
These are some of the avenues you may use to acquire a green card and permanent residence in the United States. No matter which route you take, be prepared for a long process. Getting immigration legal help from a professional attorney will go a long way to helping you acquire your status.
If you are interested in acquiring U.S. residency status, get in touch and talk to a professional immigration attorney. Contact Reeves Immigration Law Group today for more information.
