Green Cards are a form of immigration to the United States. They can be for family or for employment purposes. When looking at a green card, you should keep in mind the time that it takes to get one, as well as what you must do to get it. You may also want to consider your preferences, as well as the rules pertaining to the application process.
Waiting period
If you’re a citizen of the United States, you can petition for a green card for family members. These visas are available to spouses and minor children. They may take as little as a year, depending on the type of family relationship you have. There are several different ways to obtain one of these green cards.
Some of the most common categories include spouses, minor children, and immediate relatives. Those under 21 years of age lose eligibility to apply if their parent has already applied for a green card. But if you have a child who is over 21, he or she can get a green card, too.
There are also two types of green card for family, employment-based and family preference. Employment-based categories generally have a longer processing time. This is because the number of visas per nationality is limited. However, if the demand for these visas is high, they can be processed in as little as a year.
There are also quotas in certain categories. These limit the number of green cards for each nationality. The quota system has caused a backlog. In 2018, 4.7 million people were waiting for a green card because of quotas. Among those waiting for a green card were 100,000 legal immigrants.
Assuming linear trends, the average wait time for a family-based green card in 2038 will be seven years and eight months. That’s a lot longer than the four-year-long wait in 2018. Applicants who filed in 2003 are still waiting for a green card in 2038.
Forms
Green Card for Family is a legal document which grants the right to live and work in the USA. The document is issued to people who have established an immediate family relationship with a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. There are various forms for this. Getting a green card can be an easy process.
To apply for a green card, you must first meet eligibility requirements. These include being a child of a citizen or lawful permanent resident, and having lived in the United States since April 30, 2001.
When applying for a green card, you may be asked to fill out an I-485 form. This form contains questions on your immigration history, public charge information, and your address history. You may also be asked to complete an English language test and civic knowledge test.
In addition, you should present certified copies of your birth certificates. You may also need to complete a medical examination. If you are undergoing consular processing, you can consult a list of designated doctors. Typically, you will be interviewed at a US consulate or embassy in your home country.
There are two main types of legal status: a temporary protected status and a permanent resident status. The type of status you have will determine the forms for your green card. For example, if you are a spouse of a U.S. citizen, you can petition for your spouse to become a lawful permanent resident.
Eligibility
The family-based green card is a type of visa that allows you to live and work in the United States. It is also known as a “Permanent Resident Card.” To be eligible, you must qualify under one of five different categories. Depending on your location, you may be able to apply for a green card within a matter of months or years.
If you want to get a family-based green card, you must have a relationship with a person in the US. This can be through marriage or another form of family-related relationship. You will be asked to submit proof of your relationship. Among the documents you can use are birth certificates and marriage certificates.
Family-based green cards can be obtained through the consular process or adjustment of status. You must have a valid US address and status. Applicants with certain conditions can also get green cards through the Green Card Lottery.
As a rule, it takes about three to twelve months for children to receive their green cards. The waiting period for other family members is longer. However, the Green Card Lottery is designed to help you receive your status sooner.
When applying for a family-based green card, you should make sure to contact the National Visa Center (NVC). They are the main contact for this category of visa. These individuals will send you a package with instructions for completing the application.
Preferences
A Green Card for Family Preferences is an immigrant visa that is offered to family members of U.S. citizens. The visas are issued to qualified family members based on the relationship of the applicant with the U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a legal permanent resident of another country.
Family preference green cards are subject to numerical limitations. These caps limit the number of Green Cards that can be awarded in a given year. Each of the four categories has a separate numerical limit.
The immediate family category is for children, spouses, and parents of U.S. citizens. It also covers relatives of lawful permanent residents. No country can receive more than seven percent of all family preference visas in a given year.
The second category is for unmarried adult children. This subcategory has a quota of 26,266 green cards per year. In the past, this category had a seven-year wait. However, in recent years, there has been a decrease in the wait times.
Family third preference (F3) is for married sons and daughters. This category has a five- to twelve-month processing time.
There is no waiting period for the immediate relative category. However, a number of people seeking green cards have created backlogs.
For all family-sponsored preference visas, a derivative beneficiary process is in place. Typically, applicants must prove that they have a relationship with a US citizen, lawful permanent resident, or legal permanent resident of another country. They must also have a valid US address and no criminal history.
Limits on the number of visas issued
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) limits the number of visas that can be issued for Green Card for Family to 226,000 per year. This amount is distributed among three different categories: immediate relatives, diversity immigrants, and employment-based immigrants. In each of these categories, DOS has to make reasonable estimates of the visas to be issued.
As of November 2018, the total number of people waiting to get a family-sponsored green card was 3.7 million. This represents a more than tenfold increase from 1991, when the wait was average of six years and five months.
While some categories are exempt from the INA’s numerical limitations, such as refugees, minor children, and NACARA beneficiaries, others, such as employment-based green cards, are not.
Overall, a lack of flexibility in the immigration system creates a backlog. Applicants from certain countries and certain nationalities tend to be at the back of the line. Because of this, the average wait time for most applicants is significantly longer than it otherwise would be.
This problem is even more pronounced for certain categories of applicants. Among immigrants from Mexico and the Philippines, for instance, the average wait time was more than 21 years. Meanwhile, Indian applicants waited just eight years and six months.
These long waits are exacerbated by the fact that country limits have no place in a modern immigration system. They artificially deflate the average wait, create massive inequities in the population, and distort the labor market.
Employment-based green cards for immigrants
If you want to work in the United States, you can apply for an Employment-based Green Card. This type of green card allows you to obtain permanent residence in the US.
There are two primary categories for employment-based green cards: EB-1 and EB-2. The EB-1 category is for skilled workers. A skilled worker is defined as someone who has at least two years of experience in a particular trade.
EB-3 and EB-4 are more difficult to obtain than EB-1 and EB-2. People with advanced degrees are able to get a green card more quickly. Applicants must prove that they are at the top of their field.
Priority Workers include outstanding professors, researchers, and multinational business executives. However, the wait times for these visas are much longer than the other two categories.
Applicants from heavily oversubscribed categories may have to wait for several years before a priority date is met. In addition, applicants from China and India may have to wait even longer.
To qualify for an Employment-based green card, an applicant must demonstrate that they have received a job offer from an employer in the U.S. It is also important to have a Labor Certification from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Obtaining a Labor Certification is a very complicated process. Usually, it is done by an attorney or an agency.
As a result, the number of employment-based green cards allocated each year is limited. During the past two years, more than double the available visas were used.