GREEN CARD

What You Should Know

✅ The Green Card grants permanent resident status in the United States.
✅ It allows you to live, work, and study in the U.S. indefinitely.

✅ You can apply for U.S. citizenship after 5 years (or 3 if married to a U.S. citizen).

✅ The card is valid for 10 years and is renewable.

✅ You can travel in and out of the U.S., but long stays abroad may affect your status.

✅ You must maintain ties with the U.S., such as filing taxes and keeping a U.S. residence.

✅ Once granted, you can sponsor certain family members for their own Green Cards.

Main Ways to Obtain a Green Card

• Employment-based: for professionals, workers with exceptional skills, or company transfers (e.g., EB-1, EB-2, EB-3).
• Family-based: spouses, children, parents, or siblings of U.S. citizens or Green Card holders.
• Investment-based: under the EB-5 program, with an investment of $800,000+ creating U.S. jobs.
• Refugee/asylum status: eligible after 1 year of granted status in the U.S.
• Diversity Visa Lottery: available annually for certain nationalities, based on education or work experience.

Interview and Application Process

• Requires submitting a petition (e.g., Form I-130 or I-140).
• Next step is Form I-485 (if in the U.S.) or consular processing (if abroad).
• A biometric appointment and interview are generally required.
• A medical exam must be completed with a certified physician.

Processing Time

• Timeframes vary by case and category.
• Family-based: from 8 months to several years.
• Employment-based: typically 1 to 3 years.
• Investment (EB-5): can take 2+ years.
• Diversity Visa: processed within the same fiscal year of selection.

Official Fees for the Green Card

*These are only the official U.S. government fees. They do not include professional or legal service costs related to document preparation, translations, or application management.