USA Green Card

What is a Green Card?

A Green Card is a special card issued by the US authorities to a non-US citizen as proof of being allowed to permanently reside in the United States. Having a Green Card as a non-citizen gives you the privilege to legally live, work, and study anywhere in the United States. After 5 years of being a Green Card Holder, you’ll be qualified to apply for US citizenship.

Categories of Green Card

There are different types of green cards. But, below are the most common:

• Family-Based Green Card
• Humanitarian Green Card
• Employment-Based Green Card
• Diversity Lottery Green Card
• Longtime-Resident Green Card
• Other Green Cards Types

Now, let’s look at some of these green cards in detail.

Family-Based Green Card

For this type of green card, immediate family relations of US citizens or green card holders can apply to obtain their own green card. Family members who are eligible to apply include spouses, children, parents, and siblings with their spouses or children as well.

This category also includes widows and widowers to a US citizen when the citizen has died. However, these widows or widowers must provide authentication proof of their marriage while the Citizen was alive before he/she can be given a green card.

Most extended family members like cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents are qualified to apply. They can only apply if they also have a close relative as a US citizen or green card recipient or go for the other categories of green cards

Employment-Based Green Card

Under this green card category, there are different types of workers who can apply to gain permanent residency. In some selected scenarios, their spouses and children might also be eligible. Let’s briefly consider a few:

• Investors (EB-5)
  These are non-US or foreigners who are ready to invest up to $1million or $500,000 in a high-unemployment or rural area to set up a new business that can create employment opportunities for at least 10 persons.
  In addition, your experience and achievement must be fully recognized in your area with proof of proper documentation as stated by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) - “through sustained national or international acclaim. Your achievements must be recognized in your field through extensive documentation,”

Diversity Lottery Green Card

The US Green Card Lottery program officially known as the Diversity Lottery Visa Program is a special program organized by the US State Department to randomly choose about 50,000 applicants from a pool of entries to win the US green card. This program attracts the attention of people from different continents of the world. But most times, only applicants from low immigration rates to the US are usually eligible for this program. For instance, applicants from Algeria, Lebanon, and Slovakia are qualified for this lottery.