What are the types of Family Immigrant Visas offered in the US? Based on…
What are the types of Family Immigrant Visas offered in the US?
Based on specific family relationships, U.S. immigration law allows aliens who are family members of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card). Family Immigrant Visas are divided into categories by ‘’preference’’, such as:
F1,
F2A,
F2B,
F3 and
F4.
F1 includes unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age and older) of U.S. citizens; F2A includes spouses and children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) of lawful permanent residents; F2B, unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age and older) of LPR; F3, married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens and F4, brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens.
To be eligible for a Green Card as an Asylum applicant you need to meet a few requirements.
First, you need to file the I-485 Form while you are in the United States.
Second, you would have to physically be in the US for at least 1 year after receiving the Asylum Green Card.
Third, you need to continue to meet the definition of a refugee.
Fourth, you must not be settled in any foreign country and fifth, your asylum grant has not been terminated.
What rights does the Green Card give to its holders?
The US Green Card allows its holders to reside in any part of the United States permanently.
There are no restrictions, its holders can move freely in all 50 US states.
Other than that, this Card gives you the right to enter the United States without any complications because you would be considered a permanent resident.
Who is eligible for the EB-2 Visa?
There are two groups eligible for this type of Green Card.
1. Foreign nationals holding an advanced degree or its equivalent, in order to receive the Green Card must apply for a job in the U.S. which requires the advanced degree together with five years of experience and progressive work on the field. And
2. Foreign nationals with exceptional abilities, must demonstrate a ‘’degree of expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered’’ in the business, sciences, arts, or medicine. For both categories, a PERM is required, but in some cases, if petitioners work in the U.S. would greatly benefit the U.S., they may request to withdraw this requirement and instead sign the National Interest Waiver.
What is a Marriage Based Green Card?
For an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen, a spouse is qualified to obtain a green card.
A green card is more commonly known as a marriage-based green card for your immigrant spouse and has special immigration priority. What this card grants is permanent residency in the United States to the immigrant spouse, which allows them to legally live, work and study in the United States.
Marriage-based green cards, which the immigrant partner should hold at all times, is valid for a period of ten years.
For the immigrant spouse to maintain his or her legal residency, it must be renewed no less than six months prior to expiration.
Which continents have the highest Green Card quotas?
The two continents with the highest Green Card quotas are Europe and Africa. Both of these continents get about 20,000 Green Cards each.
How does Green Card Lottery work?
To summarize the procedure there are five steps:
1. Applicants apply;
2. Applicants are selected at random using a computer;
3. The selected applicants are then screened through an interview process;
4. Those that pass the screening process are awarded immigrant visas and
5. Upon entry into the U.S., they are awarded their green card.
How long do I have to wait for an answer from the Embassy for my Green Card?
Even if your interview went well at the embassy and your application gets approved right away, you will not be able to receive the Green Card right away.
The USCIS issues Green Cards through mail, therefore it can take weeks or months after your interview.
But it also depends whether you submitted all the right documentation, how well you answered the interview questions and the type of Green Card you applied for.
