Note to the immigrant: all types of green cards and the grounds for receiving them

To apply for permanent legal residence in the United States, non-citizens must meet one of eight categories. Each category has different qualification requirements, writes Miami Herald.

Фото: Depositphotos

In most cases, applicants require a sponsor, relative or employer. But they can also qualify for a green card for significant cash investments or try their luck in the visa lottery, which is managed by the US Department of State.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on its website leads 8 Person Categories, each of these categories is divided according to different possibilities. The U.S. Immigration Law allows them to apply for permanent residency.

Family Relations with US Citizens and Permanent Residents

There are several channels for obtaining a green card based on family relationships:

• immediate family members, such as spouse, minor children, parents of a US citizen 21 years of age or older;
• family preferred immigrant categories, which includes unmarried children of US citizens who have reached the age of 21 years, as well as spouses and children of legal permanent residents;
• Other options: US citizen bride or groom, children of a US bride or groom, widow or widower of US citizens and victims of abuse by spouses, former spouses, and parents or children who are US citizens.

Green cards based on employment

There are four types of work-based immigration status that can lead to legal permanent residency in the United States:

• first type of preference (EB-1) for foreign nationals with outstanding skills or outstanding researchers;
• second type of preference (EB-2) for professionals with advanced degrees;
• third type of preference (EB-3) for skilled workers and professionals.
• there is also a category for immigrant investors (EB-5), which must invest at least $ 1,8 million in a new business that will benefit the US economy and create at least 10 skilled jobs. In targeted areas of employment with high unemployment, the required investments are lower and amount to $ 900.

Special status of immigrants

The category that allows for special immigrant status covers a wide range of cases: from pastors and religious workers (ministers or non-ministers) at workplaces in churches up to individuals who become US Global Media Correspondents, and employees recognized international organizationssuch as NATO.

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Green card for refugees and asylum seekers

Prior to applying for a green card, non-citizens must reside in the United States for at least one year after they are the asylum application was approved, and must continue to meet the definition of a refugee.

Persons, accepted in the USA as refugeesmay also apply for legal permanent residence in this category.

Victims of human trafficking and other crimes

This category covers people with non-immigrant status Tgranted to victims of trafficking who participated in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers, or who will be subjected to extreme hardship if deported to their home countries.

It also allows qualified owners to become legal permanent residents. non-immigrant visas Uissued to victims of certain criminal acts who have suffered physical or mental abuse.

Victims of violence

This category covers eligible candidates according to Act on Violence against Womenwho have been victims of extreme cruelty, as well as young and abused young people Special Classification of Juvenile Immigrants (SIJ).

Violent spouses or children of Cuban and Haitian indigenous people who have become legal permanent residents under the Cuban Emigration Regulatory Act and the Haitian Immigrant Justice Act, respectively, are also eligible to receive green cards.

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Visa Lottery, Law on the Regulation of Emigration from Cuba and other categories

This category also covers a wide range of cases, including randomly selected winners of the popular Electronic Diversity Visa Lottery (known as the green card lottery), which issues 50 green cards per year, and the Law on the Regulation of Emigration from Cuba, which helps Cuban natives, their spouses and children.

This classification also helps babies born in the United States with foreign diplomats, and Haitian refugee dependents who received a green card thanks Haiti Immigrant Justice Act.

Register

Section "Register" of US Immigration Law allows the issuance of green cards some foreigners who have been physically in the United States since 1972 without interruption, even if they currently do not have documents.

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