A Green card known as a permanent resident card in the United States, It’s an identity document that allows a person to live within the US and work lawfully anywhere in the United States.
Green Card Eligibility Categories
Let’s begin with the categories of people who are eligible for a green card:
1. Green Card through Family
Before getting into this category first there’s need to know about the petitioners and Beneficiaries. In family-based immigration, a beneficiary and petitioners are two family members, a beneficiary is that person who wants to get a green card while on the other hand, and the petitioner is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident who can sponsor his foreign family member to get his green card.
In case you are an immediate relative of a US citizen you can apply for a green card. It will be beneficial for you because in many cases of immediate relative the process must be super fast. In case, you apply as:
- If you are the spouse of a US citizen.
- If you are an unmarried child of a US citizen under the age of 21.
- If you are the parent of a US citizen who is at least having the age 21 years old.
If you are not included in the category of an immediate relative, you can also apply as a family member through petitioner but this process is time taking enough. So, you can apply in that case:
- If you are the Daughter/Son of a US citizen of 21 years old or older than this.
- If you are the Sister/brother of a US citizen who is at least have the age 21.
- If you are a Married son/daughter of a US citizen.
- If you are a fiancée or fiancée’s child of a US citizen.
- If you are the widow of a US citizen.
- In case you are an abused child, parent, or spouse of a US citizen.
If you are a family member or relative of a US lawful permanent resident, you can also apply in the following cases:
- If you are the Spouse of a lawful permanent resident.
- If you are unmarried or married son/daughter of a lawful permanent resident who is 21 years old or older than this.
- If you are an abused child, parent, or spouse of lawful permanent resident.
2. Green Card through Employment
As it seems clear that the US is on the list of the fastest-growing economy in the world .So, they hire people who help in uplifting their economy towards the heights of success. So, if you want to apply for US green card for employment bases following are the preferences for them:
- Their first preference is those people who are having extraordinary abilities in science, arts, business, education, athletics, or in any other field.
- Their second preference are those people who are having any advanced degree or exceptional ability in their professions or any field of science, arts, or business or if they are seeking a national interest waiver.
- Their third preference is those people skilled or professional workers having minimum experience of two years in their fields. They also prefer unskilled workers just in case they have at least two years of training experience.
- You are also eligible for the green card if you are a physician who will do his clinical practice in a designated underserved area for a certain period and also fulfills other eligibility requirements.
- You are also eligible as an immigrant investor who invests 500,000 to 1 million US dollars in new commercial enterprise.
Green Card through Special Immigrant
In special immigrant cases you are eligible:
- In case you are working in religious domination for a nonprofit religious organization
- In case you are an Afghani or Iraqi translator, interpreter, or security agent worked for the US government or ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) for at least one year.
- If you are an international broadcaster or a member of USAGM (United States Agency for Global Media)
- If you are an employee or retired employee of a well-known international organization or NATO (North Atlantic Treaty organization), or you family member of such employee.
1. Green Card through Asylum status or refugee:
You are eligible to apply as a refugee or for asylum if you have been granted asylum status or were admitted as a refugee at least 1 year ago.
2. Green Card through Crime Victims and Human Trafficking:
You are eligible to apply as a human trafficking victim if you have a T nonimmigrant visa and in the case of a crime victim, you must have a U nonimmigrant visa.
3. Green card through victims of Abuse:
Over 1.6 million people world lose their life due to violence and abuse. In that case, if you are a victim of abuse or extreme cruelty then you are eligible to apply for a green card in the US:
- In case you are an abused parent, child, and spouse of US citizen or lawful permanent residence you are eligible to apply for a green card.
- You are also eligible to apply as a special immigrant Juvenile as a special child who has been neglected, abandoned by your parents and you also have SI J status.
- You are eligible in case you are an abused spouse or child of a Cuban native citizen under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
- You are also eligible as an abused spouse or child under the Haitian Refugee Immigrant Fairness Act (HRIFA).
Green Card through other categories:
There are some other categories through which you can apply for the green card:
- If you are a Liberian national or a spouse or child of a Liberian national who has been continuously present in the United States since Nov. 20, 2014. You are eligible to apply under Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) Act
- You are also eligible for a green card in cases you participated in Diversity Immigrant Visa Program and selected for a diversity visa via the diversity visa lottery
- You are also eligible to apply in case you were a parolee in the US as a Lautenberg parolee
- If you are a native or citizen of Cambodia, Vietnam, or Laos who was paroled in the US from Oct.1, 1997, from Vietnam under the orderly departure program or a part of a displaced person camp administered by UNHCR in Thailand or a refugee camp in East Asia you are eligible under Indochinese Parole Adjustment ACT of 2000
- You are eligible to apply as an American Indian born in Canada who possess at least 50% of American Indian blood
- If you are born in the United States to a foreign diplomatic officer who is stationed in the United States when you are born, you are also eligible to apply
- You are eligible to apply in case you were stationed in the United States as a high ranking official or a foreign diplomat and are unable to return home
Green Card through Registry:
If you are continuously living in the US since before Jan. 1, 1972, you are eligible to register for Green Card.
