Can I apply for a green card while studying in the United States (such as winning an international prize or owning an American invention patent)?

I generally don't like to answer questions about immigrants, because the follow-up is endless. But your question is very simple, and it has something to do with studying abroad. Let me have a try.

Winning the international prize is suitable for the American EB- 1A excellent talent immigration application. There are three kinds of ABC for special talents EB- 1 immigration application. Class A is an internationally renowned or award-winning outstanding talent, class B is an outstanding professor or researcher with more than three years of teaching and research experience, and class C is the supervisor or manager of a multinational company. The biggest advantage of EB- 1 is, of course, that you can apply for a green card for yourself without the employer's work commitment, saving a lot of time and procedures.

There are examples of invention patents in your question, but EB- 1 doesn't, so it can't be used to apply unless the patent wins a prize.

Your second question is whether you can give up your studies by applying for a green card during your PhD, because there is no cause and effect and there is no possibility of it happening. If you apply for EB- 1A with an international prize to get a green card, the green card has nothing to do with your studies. However, if you apply for EB- 1B after studying in the United States, you must complete your studies to qualify as a professor and researcher, so there is no way to start applying before you finish your studies. The third possibility is that you already have a doctor's degree in China and use it to apply for EB-1B. At the same time, you are studying for a postdoctoral degree or another postgraduate degree in the United States, so the green card has nothing to do with your studies or postdoctoral research.