How to get an American green card

1. From student to getting a green card

For most students studying in the United States, in order to obtain a green card, the general practice is to find a job after studying in the United States, change their F- 1 student status to H- 1B employment status with their employers, and then apply for a work permit from the Ministry of Labor through their employers. After the work permit is approved, apply to the Immigration Bureau for immigration with the priority of the second kind of occupation. Apply for a green card after the immigration application is passed.

His professional work and achievements show that his application for immigration to the United States conforms to the interests of the United States in economy, society, environment, culture and medical care. Individuals with special abilities can be exempted from national interests and do not need to apply for a work permit from the Ministry of Labor.

Some people with F- 1 student visas can apply for immigration in this way, whether they are teaching assistants or doing postdoctoral research.

2. green card application for class j visa

Visiting scholars with J- 1 visas to the United States must return to their own country to live and work for two years after completing the scheduled study and research projects in the United States before they can apply for permanent residence status in the United States, which limits the ways for such people to obtain permanent residence status to some extent.

However, such people can apply for immigration in the following three ways:

(1) "Extraordinary person" can apply to the Immigration Bureau through the first priority person;

(2) People with special talents or high education can apply to the Immigration Bureau for immigration through "national interest exemption";

(3) Apply to the Immigration Bureau for exemption from the two-year residence restriction. Of course, you can also go back to China for two years and then enter the United States as an immigrant.

3. Green card visa application

Holders of American L-I visas can apply to the Immigration Bureau according to the first priority among professional immigrants, and do not need to apply for a labor card from the Ministry of Labor. Immigration procedures and processes are simple and the time required is much faster.

L- 1 visa belongs to the manager or senior manager of a branch or other type of company established by a foreign company in the United States. Generally, American branches can apply for green cards for L-L visa personnel in the company, including managers of foreign parent companies, as long as they have been operating continuously for more than one year. The parent-subsidiary relationship does not need to exist for a period of time in advance. For example, an American company has been in business for one year, and now it is wholly or partially acquired by a China company (some acquisitions need to be "effectively controlled"). The acquired American company can immediately apply for the manager's green card of this company in China. It doesn't matter whether the applicant has L- 1 status or whether he has been in the United States for L- 1 status.

The business volume of American subsidiaries will have some impact on the applicant's immigration application. If the business amount exceeds 500 or 654.38+00,000 USD, the probability of approval is high. The most important factor is to prove to the Immigration Bureau that both the foreign parent company and the American branch are operating normally, and the American branch must also prove its financial ability to operate in the United States for a long time, including turnover, profit, tax payment, number of employees, etc.

All L- 1 visa holders who meet the above conditions can apply for permanent residency directly to the Immigration Bureau. Usually, the Immigration Bureau will approve their applications after two or three months.

4. People with special abilities apply for green cards.

For people with special abilities and some highly educated people, no matter what kind of non-immigrant visa they hold, they can apply for immigration directly through the way of "national interest exemption". As long as you have a master's degree or above and some scientific research results testify, you can apply for immigration directly to the Immigration Bureau.

If these people cite "national interests and letters of recommendation" through professional immigration lawyers, the thesis is a hard indicator of special ability, and the writing skills of letters of recommendation are also the key link to success, especially those who have achieved concrete results in their research but have not had time to publish them, relying on the role of letters of recommendation. For some highly educated students at school, this program can also be used to apply for green cards in advance.

If you get a green card and become a permanent resident of the United States, you will automatically become a taxpayer in the United States and must declare all your income to the United States government. The "1040 tax return" in the United States must be submitted before April 15 every year. Failure to enforce American tax laws is considered a crime. If it is proved that it violates the tax law, the green card will be revoked.

There is no provision to regularly check whether foreigners maintain their legal permanent residence status after obtaining permanent residency. In recent years, many China people from Hongkong and Taiwan Province have applied to immigrate to the United States. But when they get green cards and become permanent residents, they want to go back to their original places to work or develop.

Under normal circumstances, permanent residents (green card holders) can re-enter the country with a green card as long as they have been abroad for less than one year. However, if they leave the country for more than one year, their green cards are not enough to ensure their re-entry, and their green cards may be confiscated when they enter the country. Before leaving the country, green card holders should apply to the US Immigration Bureau for re-entry permit if the expected departure time is more than one year. The re-entry permit can be valid for two years after departure. If the person concerned does not return to the United States within two years, he can only return to the United States after applying for a "special immigrant" visa to the American consulate overseas.

5. Get the advantage of permanent resident status in the United States by investing in immigrants.

Regardless of the geographical scope of investment, qualified investors and their families can live and work in the United States or anywhere outside the United States.

Whether for business or personal affairs, permanent residents of the United States and their family members are free to enter and leave the United States without additional visas.

There are no requirements for age, business training and investment experience, and qualified investors do not need to be fluent in English.

As permanent residents of the United States, qualified investors and their families will get better educational opportunities and enjoy more benefits, such as the cost of entering American state universities as residents of the state.

Two years later, qualified investors and their families can be converted into formal green cards with "conditions".

Five years later, as long as all the requirements of immigration are met, qualified investors and their families can successfully obtain American citizenship.