Green Cards

There are now a number of different ways for you to become a United States Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).  Having a Green Card means that you can live and work permanently in the U.S.

There are a 11 different categories of Green Cards:

Family Based	Investors	Private Bill	Refugee
Employment Based	Adoption	Diplomats	Special Immigrants
Green Card Lottery	Registry	Asylum

Please feel free to review all of the information on each green card option and then discuss your immigration needs with Marla Schechter. 

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1.  Family Based Immigration

a.  Relatives of U.S. Citizens

• Spouse

• Unmarried child (under the age of 21)

• Unmarried stepchild (under the age of 21)

• Adopted child (under the age of 18) or

• Parent or stepparent

• Unmarried son or daughter (over the age of 21)

• Married son or daughter (any age)

• Brother or Sister

b.  Relatives of Green Card holders

• Spouse

• Unmarried child (under the age of 21)

• Unmarried stepchild (under the age of 21)

• Adopted child (under the age of 18) or

• Unmarried son or daughter (over the age of 21)

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2.  Employment Based Immigration

a.  Employment First Preference

• Persons with extraordinary ability

• Outstanding professors and researchers

• Managers and executives in multinational companies

b.  Employment Second Preference

• Professionals with advanced degrees

• Persons with exceptional ability

• Exceptional professors and researchers

c.  Employment Second Preference with National Interest Waiver (NIW)

• Persons with exceptional ability involved in activities that will substantially benefit the U.S. national interest

• Advanced degree professionals involved in activities that will substantially benefit the U.S. national interest

d.  Employment Second Preference with Reduction in Recruitment (RIR)

• Foreign nationals with a job offer from a U.S. company, where the company within the last six months has attempted to fill the position with reasonable efforts, and has been unsuccessful in identifying qualified and available U.S. workers.

e.  Employment Third Preference

• Professionals with a U.S. bachelor's or foreign equivalent degree 

• Skilled workers

• Unskilled workers

f.  Employment Third Preference with Reduction in Recruitment (RIR)

• Foreign nationals with a job offer from a U.S. company, where the company within the last six months has attempted to fill the position with reasonable efforts, and has been unsuccessful in identifying qualified and available U.S. workers.

g.  Schedule A

• Registered nurses and physical therapists

• Persons qualified to work in one of the shortage occupations on the Schedule A list

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3.  Green Card Lottery

• Winners of the Green Card Lottery conducted by the U.S. Department of State.

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4.  Investors

• Foreign entrepreneurs who invest $500,000 in a commercial enterprise in a targeted employment area that will benefit the U.S. economy and create at least 5 full-time U.S. jobs.

• Foreign entrepreneurs who invest $1,000,000 in a commercial enterprise that will benefit the U.S. economy and create at least 10 full-time U.S. jobs.

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5.  Adoption

• Children under sixteen years of age adopted by U.S. citizens or green card holders.

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6.  Registry

• Foreign Nationals who have resided continuously in the U.S. since January 1, 1972.

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7.  Private Bill

• Foreign nationals that Congress (House of Representatives or Senate) believes have compelling humanitarian factors to stay permanently in the U.S. and for whom the INS cannot grant permanent resident status.

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8.  Diplomats

• High-level diplomats on A-1 visa who are unable or unwilling to return to their home country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution.

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9.  Asylum

• Foreign nationals in the U.S. who are unable or unwilling to return to their home country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, or membership in a particular social or political group.

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10.  Refugee

• Foreign nationals displaced by war, famine, and civil and political unrest or, unable or unwilling to return to their home country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution.

• Foreign nationals in their home country who have experienced persecution in the past or have a well-founded fear of persecution in the future.

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11.  Special Immigrants

a.  Religious Workers

b.  Former employees of U.S. Government

c.  Former employees of the Panama Canal Zone

d.  Former employees of U.S. Armed Forces

e.  Retired employees of International Organizations

f.   Former employees of the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong

g.  Employees of International Broadcasting Companies

h.  Special agricultural workers

i.   Foreign medical graduates

j.  Abused spouses and children of U.S. Citizens or Green Card holders  

k.  Permanent Residents who departed the U.S. for more than 12 months

l.  Foreign children declared dependent in U.S. juvenile
courts

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Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, articles or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation.  The information is intended to be general and should not be relied upon for any specific situation.  For legal advice, consult an attorney experienced in immigration law.