Eligibility and Benefits of the US Green Card

Attaining a Permanent Resident Card or Green card allows the holder to stay and work in theUnited States forever. Actually, the card is not green today, but in the past, it was green in color, so it is still popular as green card. After obtaining a green card, the holder can apply for the US citizenship, after some years. Remember, the US green card and the US citizenship status is a little different.

Benefits of theUS green card holder

• Permanent resident of the US


• Travel between your own country and the US without business or visitor visa


• Buy your own property or house


• No work permit needed to work


• Register and run your own company


• Study in the US


• Sponsor your family members for immigrant visas


• After five years, a green card holder can apply for the UnitedState citizenship


• The US green card holders get same kind of protection from local, state and federal laws on par to American citizen


• Simultaneously, you can also retain your native country’s citizenship

Eligibility for green card application

Before you apply for the US permanent residency,make sure you qualify under any one of the categories given below.

Nearest family member of theUS citizen -Immediate relatives top the list and the category includes -

• Spouses


• Unmarried person under 21 years with one parent holding the US citizenship


• Parents of the US citizen daughter or son with minimum age of 21 years


• Step parents and step children of the US citizen only if the marriage creating step parent/children relationship took place prior the child turned 18


• Adopted children of the US citizen, if adoption process took place prior the child reached 16 (some more conditions are applicable)

Other preferred family members- Some family members are eligible for getting green cards, but they fall in preference categories. Actually, 480,000 receive green cards every year. In this system, the first one gets served first, so the US citizen needs to file a visa petition soon.

The waiting time is unpredictable, because it depends on several factors like the visa category, your native country, how many people belonging to your country have requested for your kind of visa and workload at immigration agencies.

Family preference sub categories -

1^st (F1) - unmarried adults with 21 years and more

2^nd (F2A) - unmarried children (less than 21 years) and spouse, (F2B) unmarried children of 21 year and more

3^rd (F3) - married people of any age

4^th (F4) -brothers and sisters of the US citizen 21 year or more

Preferred employees- People whose skills are needed in the US market fall under preference category.

Subcategories of employment preference include -

1^st- Persons holding extraordinary abilities in different fields, professors , researchers , executives & managers of MNC companies are regarded as priority workers

2^nd- Professionals with exceptional abilities and advanced degrees

3^rd- Skilled professionals or unskilled workers

4^th- Religious and misc workers

5^th- Investors with a desire to invest $1 million in the US

Green card lotteries- About 50,000 green cards are made available to people from those countries that have sent few immigrants to the US.

Special immigrants- Occasionally, green cards are made available legally to people in rare conditions. For example, international broadcaster, youngster under the care of juvenile court and retired employees of theUS government aboard are some special immigrant cases.

Refuge and asylum-The US government provides refuge to those people who have experienced or fear harassment in their homeland. A person can apply for refugee status from outside the US border, and if the person reaches inside the US, then apply for asylum status.

Long time illegal residents- People living in the US for more than 10 years illegally can request green card with the help of a lawyer.

Green card process

Actual steps for the green card process differ, but following are the most common ones.

Immigrant petition- Immigration petition is filed for the beneficiary by relative, or employee. For employment I-140 and for family I-130 is filed.

Immigrant visa availability- Due to restrictions and quotas in most green card categories, a person has to wait to get green card. After approval of immigrant petition, the case is reassigned to National Visa Centre.

Adjudication- As soon as, you get an immigrant visa number, apply for immigrant visa at the US embassy, if you are in another country and if you are already in the US, then you can adjust your status.

Remember to renew your green card, after every ten years.