May 14, 2021

How to get a Green Card: Your Guide

green card and US flag

One question frequently asked is how one can get a green card. A green card allows people from different countries to gain permanent residence in the United States. However, not everyone is eligible to get this precious card. 

Green cards exist in different kinds, and these types are what determines the eligibility of getting one.

  • Green card based on family- A qualifying family member must sponsor one in this type of green card application. That means one can either be an immediate relative of a U.S. relative, a relative of a lawful U.S. citizen, a widow, fiancée, or child to a U.S. citizen, or a victim of abuse or extreme cruelty.
  • Employment-based card- You are eligible to apply for this if you are an immigrant worker, investor, or physician who has agreed to work for a specific time in an undeserving area in clinical practice.
  • Humanitarian green card- You’re eligible for a refugee or an asylum and were granted refugee or asylum status for a year. Victims of human trafficking, abuse, and crime victims are also eligible for this type of green card.
  • Diversity lottery green card- This type of green card is available when the U.S. government offers up to 50,000 people from regions with little immigration in the past years to apply for the green card. At the time of applications, the applicants might be living in their home countries or the U.S. with a different type of immigration status.
  • Green card through registry- this is available for anyone who has lived in the United States continuously since before Jan 1972
  • Other green cards are available. An example of these people is like a diplomat who was assigned to work in the United States and is unable to return home, someone born in the United States to a foreign diplomat, anyone born in Canada and has at least 50% American Indian blood and has also resided in the United States as the main home, a child or a spouse of a permanent resident who received his or her green card through HRIFA, and a Cuban native, citizen or a child or spouse of a Cuban citizen.

Getting a green card is crucial as it allows one to work and live freely in the United States. That means one doesn’t need to apply for a work permit when they have a green card. That makes it easier for them since they can easily invest or find jobs in the States. For those willing to apply for a green card to go to California, they need to have the guidance of Sacramento immigration lawyers to help them go through the application process and guide them with all the requirements. Sacramento County Immigration Attorney has knowledge on these matters, and they can be of great help.

Manzoor Law Firm is a law organization located in Sacramento city with knowledgeable and qualified attorneys to help with all legal requirements. A Sacramento immigration lawyer can understand all that goes into applying for a green card, and therefore acts as a Sacramento green card attorney. An immigration attorney in Sacramento focuses on providing deportation defense before the immigration judges, applying for asylum, and helps their clients to navigate all the processes with ease. Consider these Sacramento Immigration Attorney to minimize pressure during these processes.

A green card holder must receive a form, an alien registration card that is valid for ten years but renewable. The card may not be legible for renewal if the holder is found to be involved in some criminal activities or if one is absent from the United States residence for one year or more. Therefore, one must live through the right channels in the country to protect one’s green card.