Green Card

Green card – is the goal for many people entering or planning to enter the United States. Among the benefits that it brings are the ability to live permanently and work in the United States. The most widely used methods to obtain lawful permanent resident status are through employment and family members.

EMPLOYMENT BASED IMMIGRANT VISAS

EB-1 Priority Workers

  1. Individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics
  2. Outstanding professors or researchers
  3. Managers and executives transferred to the United States

EB-2 Advanced Degree Professionals or Individuals with Exceptional Ability

  1. Individuals with exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business
  2. Professionals with advanced degrees (Master's degree or higher, or equivalent)
  3. Physicians intending to practice medicine in underserved areas

EB-3 Skilled or Professional Workers

  1. Professionals with U.S. bachelor's or foreign equivalent degree
  2. Skilled workers with a minimum of two years experience
  3. Unskilled workers

EB-4 Special Immigrants

  1. Religious workers

EB-5 Investor Visas

FAMILY BASED IMMIGRANT VISAS

We assist our clients in all areas of family based immigration. We carefully analyze each case to explore all available options and determine the best solution, file all necessary documents, extensively prepare clients for USCIS interviews and attend interviews with clients. Each case is handled with care, precision and professionalism.

Eligibility

Sponsoring U.S. relative must meet the following criteria:

  1. Must be a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
  2. Must prove that he/she can support an immigrant relative at 125% above the mandated poverty line, by filling out an Affidavit of Support

U.S. Citizens and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents are treated differently for purposes of which relatives they may sponsor as immigrants:

U.S. Citizens may petition for the following foreign national relatives to immigrate to the U.S:

  • Husband or wife
  • Unmarried child under 21 years of age
  • Unmarried son or daughter over 21
  • Married son or daughter of any age
  • Brother or sister, if the sponsor is at least 21 years old
  • Parent, if the sponsor is at least 21 years old.

Lawful Permanent Resident may petition for the following foreign national relatives to immigrate to the U.S.:

  • Husband or wife, or
  • Unmarried son or daughter of any age.

Overview of the Family Based Preference Categories

Relatives of U.S. Citizens and U.S. permanent residents are classified into categories based on a preference system. Relatives of U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents are treated differently for immigration purposes. Family-based immigration consists of an immediate relative category and four preference categories.

Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens: Parents, Spouses and Unmarried Children under the age of 21.

There is an unlimited number of immediate relative visas that may be issued under this category in any year; therefore immediate relatives of U.S. Citizens do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number to become available.

The Family-Based Preference Categories

Family immigrants, other than immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, are classified into family-based preference categories and must wait for an immigrant visa number to become available according to the following preferences:

First preference: Unmarried Sons and Daughters, twenty-one (21) years of age or older, of U.S. Citizens.

Second Preference:
2A: Spouses and Minor Children (under the age of twenty-one) of Lawful Permanent Residents
2B: Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Lawful Permanent Residents

Third Preference: Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens.

Fourth Preference: Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens.

Family immigrants under these categories must wait for an immigrant visa number to become available. After the immigrant petition is approved by the USCIS, the petition is forwarded to the Department of State's National Visa Center for processing, where it remains until an immigrant visa number becomes available. The visas are issued in the order of their priority date - the date when the petition was filed. You can check priority dates for each preference category in the Department of State's Visa Bulletin. When an immigrant visa number becomes available a family immigrant may apply for a visa in a U.S. consulate (if such immigrant is abroad) or apply to Adjust the Status to a Lawful Permanent Resident (if such immigrant is in the United States).

Please note that a change in your or your sponsor’s personal situation, such as reaching the age of twenty one, marriage, divorce, death of a spouse may affect your eligibility for an immigrant visa. Contact us for a professional consultation on how such changes might impact your individual situation .