The green card, issued to a permanent resident of the United States, is an identification document issued by the United States Department of State. It allows non-US citizens to legally live and work in the United States without the need for a visa. The rights and duties of cardholders are identical in all respects to those of a US citizen, except the right to vote and serve on a jury. In addition, the owner has the duty to always carry the card with him, in case the regularity of his stay is checked.
The term green card comes from the color of the paper used by Form I-151, the card’s predecessor, which was green until 1964. Since then the card has had different colors, but it is still known as a green card.
Since 2006, the card is quite white on the front with the holder’s name, photo and other information, and contains a dark green band with various systems to prevent counterfeiting.
USCIS approves the application of a family member or employer.
For the employer:
The employer must prove that there was no one else in the United States capable of doing the applicant’s job and that their wages are not likely to jeopardize the wages of Americans in the same region. Employers generally rely on specialized law firms to complete the forms and provide evidence; this part is the hardest to get through. The cost is typically $1,500 to $2,000, often funded by the employer. If certification is denied, they must start from scratch.
The family:
It is possible to obtain a Green Card by marrying a US citizen. That is, as long as after the marriage the US citizen and you (for a fee) fill out various visa applications, such as temporary travel visa, temporary resident visa, temporary work visa, medical visa and others. The US citizen must also sponsor the non-US citizen.
Unless you are a close member of the applicant (spouse, children, and parents of US citizens), you must obtain an immigrant number from USCIS. This number can take years to obtain because there are only a certain number of numbers assigned each year per country of origin and the waiting list in some countries can be very long. Immigrants who are close members of the applicant are not subject to this fee and can proceed to the next step immediately.
In the case of an application by the employer, the application for an immigrant number consists of filling out the Immigrant Petition form, which once signed and returned by the authorities, allows you to work legally in the United States without the need for a visa. of work. This step is called obtaining temporary immigration status. At this point, the applicant is in transition and needs permission to leave the country (EAD). If the applicant needs to travel outside of the United States, she may no longer be able to return to the United States if he has not completed this process in advance. The authorities are granting the applicant the right to work in the United States; they do not appreciate that this is taken lightly.
After obtaining an immigrant number, the applicant moves from temporary immigrant status to permanent immigrant status. The procedure usually takes about a year and is approved provided that all the necessary documents obtained previously are valid, that the mandatory medical examination has been carried out, necessary to verify that the applicant is not under the influence of illegal drugs and does not have psychological problems. , and that the FBI took fingerprints and ran a thorough background check.
Every year, as part of its “diversity immigrant visa program” (a program to maintain some diversity among the immigrant population in the United States), the US government organizes a free lottery that allows some 50,000 foreigners to receive this famous gift.