Most immigrants wonder how to obtain a green card to work in the United States. What is a green card, and why do you need one to work in the United States? A green card, on the other hand, allows a person to live and work in the United States.
How to Get A Green Card to Work in the United States
A green card is valid for ten years and must be renewed every ten years. A green card holder can apply for citizenship in the United States after five years as a lawful permanent resident. Learn how to become a US citizen. Continue reading to learn more about obtaining a green card to work in the United States.
What is a Green Card?
A Green Card is a document that serves as evidence of an individual’s permanent residency status in the United States. It is also known as a Permanent Resident Card or Form I-551. The green card is issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and it provides proof that the cardholder has been granted the right to live and work permanently in the United States.
A green card holder is allowed to reside in the United States indefinitely, work for any employer, study in the United States, and travel outside the United States and return. Green card holders are also eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship after meeting certain eligibility requirements.
The green card is typically valid for 10 years and must be renewed before its expiration date. In order to obtain a green card, an individual must be eligible through one of the many available categories, such as employment-based, family-based, refugee or asylee status, and more. The eligibility requirements and application process for obtaining a green card can vary depending on the specific category.
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Are Green Card Holders Same As U.S Citizens?
A green card holder (also known as a permanent resident) is not the same as a citizen of the United States. Individuals with a green card, on the other hand, can petition for citizenship after a certain amount of time in the country, with exceptions made for those who marry US citizens or enter the country as refugees.
Green cards can be obtained through family, investment, refugee status, or other extraordinary circumstances, but they can also be obtained through employment in the United States. More information on green cards and how to obtain one through employment in the United States can be found here.
Types of Employment-Based Green Cards
Individuals seeking a green card through employment can apply from their home country once an immigrant visa number has been assigned to them. This is organized in accordance with the employment-based (EB) options listed below:
Types of Employment-Based Green Cards |
| First Preference (EB-1) |
| Second Preference (EB-2) |
| Third Preference (EB-3) |
| Fourth Preference (EB-4) |
| Fifth Preference (EB-5) |
First Preference (EB-1)
Individuals with exceptional talents, prominent academics, professors, researchers, and international executives are all eligible for first preference permanent residency. People can demonstrate why they should be prioritized. A Pulitzer or Nobel Peace Prize, an athletic accomplishment, membership in a professional organization, or publication can all be used as proof. Learn how to find a good immigration lawyer in the United States.
Second Preference (EB-2)
Employees with exceptional abilities or experts with advanced qualifications/degrees. Foreign nationals interested in a national interest waiver, which is a petition for a visa status that can be filed if a definite job offer is already in place, are also eligible.
Third Preference (EB-3)
The third priority visa category is for skilled workers and professionals. Professionals typically require degrees from reputable universities, and employees must have at least two years of experience.
Fourth Preference (EB-4)
The following exceptional immigrants may be eligible for the fourth preference visa:
- Workers in the Religious Sector.
- Special Immigrants for Children.
- Broadcasters.
- Employees and families of G-4 International Organizations or NATO-6.
- Employees of the United States Government working in another country.
- Armed Forces personnel.
- Workers at the Panama Canal Zone.
- Certain Medical Personnel.
- Afghanistan and Iraq have translators.
- Afghan and Iraqi nationals who provided religious services in support of US operations.
Fifth Preference (EB-5)
The fifth preference visa is available to immigrant investors willing to invest between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in a company that creates at least ten new jobs for US citizens or other lawful permanent residents. You might want to look into the highest paying jobs in the United States.
How to Get a Green Card Through Employment
To obtain a green card through employment, you must have a job offer from a U.S. employer who is willing to sponsor you. The employer will need to file a petition on your behalf with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Here are the steps you can follow:
Determine your eligibility:
To be eligible for a green card through employment, you must fall into one of the employment-based categories established by the USCIS. The categories include:
- EB-1: Priority Workers (for individuals with extraordinary ability in science, art, education, business or athletics; outstanding professors or researchers; and multinational executives and managers)
- EB-2: Professionals with Advanced Degrees or Exceptional Ability (for individuals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability in science, art, or business)
- EB-3: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers (for individuals with at least two years of job experience or a bachelor’s degree in a related field)
- EB-4: Special Immigrants (for religious workers, certain former U.S. government employees, and other specific categories)
- EB-5: Immigrant Investors (for individuals who invest a minimum of $1 million in a new commercial enterprise or $500,000 in a targeted employment area)
Find a U.S. employer who is willing to sponsor you:
You must have a job offer from a U.S. employer who is willing to sponsor you. The employer will need to file a petition on your behalf with the USCIS.
File a PERM Labor Certification:
If you are applying for the EB-2 or EB-3 category, your employer will need to file a Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) Labor Certification with the Department of Labor (DOL). This process ensures that there are no U.S. workers who are qualified and available to fill the job.
File an I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker:
Once the PERM Labor Certification is approved, your employer will need to file an I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker with the USCIS. This petition establishes that you meet the eligibility requirements for the employment-based category you are applying for.
Wait for your priority date to become current:
Each employment-based category has a limited number of green cards available each year. Your priority date is the date that your employer filed the I-140 petition on your behalf. You can track the availability of green cards for your category on the Visa Bulletin published monthly by the Department of State.
File an I-485 Adjustment of Status application:
Once your priority date becomes current, you can file an I-485 Adjustment of Status application with the USCIS. This application is used to request that your status be changed from nonimmigrant to immigrant and to obtain a green card.
Application for a Green Card – The Procedure
The green card application process varies according to how a person wishes to obtain a green card. Your actions will be determined by your specific circumstances.
OPTION 1: In most cases, an employer will fill out an I-140 approval notice, allowing them to hire a permanent foreign national. In some cases, foreign nationals with exceptional talents may be able to self-petition for an I-140.
OPTION 2: If the petition is approved, the foreign national may apply for a green card using Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. This application allows the foreign person to request that any conditional restrictions on his or her status be lifted. If the priority date of the foreign national is current, he or she should be able to submit both the I-485 and the I-140 at the same time.
The Green Card Lottery Program
The annual Green Card Lottery is another way for potential immigrants to become permanent legal residents of the United States (formally known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program). This program is held annually and provides green cards to candidates chosen at random in a lottery.
How The Green Card Lottery Program Works
The annual lottery, which began in 1990, aims to ensure diversity in immigration to the United States. To be eligible for the Green Card Lottery, you must be a native of a country with a low rate of immigration to the United States. Applicants from countries that have sent more than 50,000 foreign nationals to the United States in the last five years are not eligible for this visa.
You must also have the appropriate education or work experience. To be eligible for the lottery, a person must have a high school diploma or two years of trade work experience. You might want to look into US Work Visas.
What Is The Cost of The Green Card Lottery?
Entering the Green Card Lottery is completely free. During the registration period, the only way to apply is to fill out and submit an electronic form on the website of the US Department of State.
Many companies charge a fee to help with the application process, but using these vendors does not improve a person’s chances of getting approved.
Types of Green Card Scams
Green card and visa scams in the United States come in a variety of forms. This includes the following:
- Green Card Lottery Commission Scams.
- Fees for submitting government forms.
- Providing assistance with visa applications.
- Theft of one’s identity.
- Service Charges.
Commission For Green Card Lottery Scams
Companies or individuals involved in this scam claim that for a fee, they can improve your chances of being selected in the US Department of State’s annual Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery (DV). There are no companies that can assist you with the green card lottery or increase your chances of being nominated for a visa.
Fees For Government Forms
There is never a fee for completing a US government form. If a website charges for government forms, it is a scam. The forms are always distributed by the government agency that created them.
Helping With Visa Applications
There are websites that offer to handle visa applications or ask for money in exchange for completing lottery applications. The only legitimate way to register for the Diversity Visa (green card) lottery during the registration period is directly through the official US Department of State website. There is no fee to submit an application.
Identity Theft
Scammers may request personal information from you in order to steal your identity, in addition to cash for visa services. Personal information should not be distributed via third-party websites or email.
Fees For Services
Scams include websites, email messages, letters, and advertisements claiming to be able to help you obtain a visa for a fee. These websites and email addresses will not be able to help you obtain a visa. For example, many bogus emails promise US visas or “green cards” in exchange for a fee. Visa services can only be provided by official US government institutions such as the Department of State, a US embassy or consulate, or the Department of Homeland Security.
How to Avoid Green Card And Visa Scams
- The US government will not send you an email informing you that you have won a visa. Furthermore, no other government or private organization has the authority to notify DV applicants. You can check your visa status online.
- All visa-related communications will be sent from a “.gov” email address, which is the official email account of the United States government. Any contact regarding a visa that does not end in “.gov” should be treated with caution.
To avoid fraud, apply directly to US government websites ending in “.gov.”
How To Get Updates On Green Card Application
See the USCIS Visa Bulletins, which are published throughout the year, for the most up-to-date information. They include eligibility and application procedure changes that occur during the current application cycle. It is critical to stay current on how to avoid deportation from the United States.
