What is a US green card and what rights does it give to its holder? The official name of this document is the United States Permanent Resident Card. This name translates to "Card (s) Permanent Resident in the United States." Thus, the document confirms the residence permit of a foreigner resident in the country. Green Cards, i.e. green cards, these certificates began to be called because of the color in which they were painted from 1946 to 1964. By the way, since May 2010 the document has been issued again in the "classic" color scheme, justifying its name. Where and how can I get a green card? We will try to answer these questions in this article.
What gives a green card
This identity card confirms that its owner is not a US citizen, but has the right to permanently and legally be in the state. But that is not all. A resident of the United States of America enjoys the same rights and freedoms as the citizens of a country. The only exception is suffrage (participation in elections) and the holding of certain government posts. Everything else - getting an education, getting a job, leaving and returning to the United States - is the same as that of Native Americans. It is not surprising that the question “how to get a green card” worries a large number of foreigners, mainly from poor countries of the world. Recently, about three million people submit applications for permanent residence in the USA annually! And only a small percentage of these potential emigrants become happy owners of the green card. How can one obtain such a coveted residence permit?
How to get a US green card: main channels
There are not so many legal ways to gain the status of a resident of a country. The first is family reunion. If you do not have a close relative, a citizen of the United States, then you can try to get it through marriage. It should immediately be pointed out that such unions are carefully checked by the authorities for fictitiousness. The third way to obtain permanent residence in the United States - employment at the request of an American employer. Fourth - obtaining refugee or asylum seeker status. Fifth, a generous investment in the US economy or the opening of a profitable business there. And finally, the last legal channel is a win in a diversification lottery. Let's face it: coming to the United States on a tourist or student visa, and after its expiration stay in the country illegally is a bad idea. You will inevitably be calculated and expelled from the state without the right to come there again.
Will we try happiness?
Now, let's look at the main ways to get a US green card in more detail. Let's start with the diversification lottery (DV). Each year, the US government plays a certain number of green cards in countries where immigration to the country is hardly noticeable. A specific quota is set. This is seven percent of the total number of immigrants. The more applications for participation in the lottery, the naturally less chance of winning. But why not try your luck? After all, participation in the lottery is absolutely free. You just need to have time to go to the DV official website, fill out the form and wait for the draw. The winners are determined by the computer system. Thirty days are given for filing an application. As a rule, this is the period from October to November. And the winners will be determined in May next year. Only in October 2014 something strange happened. On the DV-15 website for Russian citizens it was indicated that the registration for the lottery ended in November of the thirteenth year.At the same time, in 2014, six thousand citizens of this country managed to get a green card in Ukraine.
Caution scammers!
A diversification lottery has only one official website. All "subsidiaries" and "representations" are impostor swindlers who want to cash in on human gullibility. On such sites they promise to tell how to get a green card, how to fill out a questionnaire, and even take to increase the chances of winning. To trust them is simply to lose money without receiving anything in return. Who can take part in the lottery? Almost any native of the country with secondary education? or one who graduated from college after eight years and worked for two years in the specialty. Chooses the winners in the lottery computer. But then the lucky ones will be tested. You need to provide evidence of your solvency and the fact that you will not be lost in your new homeland to the US Embassy. This may be a confirmation of the fact of ownership of the property, an offer from an American employer, sponsorship.
L1 and EB-5
Behind these sophisticated codes are a business visa and investor document. To open the first, you must have a successful business in Russia. Then you can open a subsidiary of this company in the USA. Transferring an employee there will be legitimately justified. At the expense of the American "daughter" you need to put at least 25 thousand dollars and create five jobs. The obtained L1 business visa can be exchanged for permanent residence after a year of successful operation of an American enterprise. How to get an investor's green card? This will require a significantly larger amount - at least a million dollars. But you do not need to open an enterprise and work on it. The only thing required of the investor is to prove the legality of these funds. A standard tax exemption will be sufficient.
Getting a Green Card by Marrying a US Citizen
It seems a simple and effective way to find the coveted permanent residence in America. However, in practice, the process takes a lot of time and eats up a lot of nerves. It is better to play a wedding in the USA, having received a “bride visa”. Then the American spouse must apply for permanent residence status for his half. How to get a green card through marriage? Together with Marriage Certificate, you must provide the immigration department with documents confirming your close and warm relationship. Naturally, it is not possible to carry out photographs alone with embraces of service employees. Numerous interviews with experienced psychologists await you, in which you will have to answer very intimate questions.
Obtaining permanent residence on the basis of a work visa
The most difficult thing is to get an invitation from an American businessman. After all, in addition to five thousand dollars for opening a work visa, he must also prove to the immigration authorities why exactly you, a foreigner, should take a vacant place at a time when the country has such a level of unemployment among nee US citizens. Is it possible to get a green card if it is so difficult to get an entry permit with the right to find a job? Our citizens have already fully mastered this channel of legitimization. People are looking for small firms and companies run by immigrants from the CIS. Pay them troubles and expenses. Those having US citizenship apply for a work visa. Say, without you in any way. When the work visa expires, the management of the company asks for a resident status, because you are unsurpassed in managing your duties.
Where to get a green card
Only at the US Embassy in Russia. The package of documents required for delivery varies depending on the basis of the request. You will also need to go through a doctor’s examination and receive the medical certificates Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination record and I -693. If you are issued a green card, you must enter the United States within six months. Border guards should present a passport with a valid American visa and two closed envelopes (from the embassy and with the results of a medical examination).You will be given a temporary green card. She is valid for a year. A ten year green card will be mailed to your new address.
