Many people ask how to get a green card?
Which is the quick and easy way to get a Green Card?
There are 5 common ways to get your Green Card. Some are quicker and easier than others. Here is an overview.
1. Green Card through Marriage to an American Citizen.
2. Green Card through Marriage to Green Card holder, permanent resident.
3. Green Card Though your U.S. employer.
4. Green Card Through Refugee / Asylum
5. Diversity Lottery, known as Green Card Lottery, Greencard Lottery.
This post will briefly review the first two ways of getting your Green Card by marriage. The other ways will be discussed in separate posts as they would likely not interest you if you are getting your Green Card through marriage.
Green Card by Marriage to U.S. Citizen
Once you are married to a United States Citizen, you can begin the process to get your Green Card by Marriage. There is a LOT to do and a lot of documentation to provide. Most clients are surprised at things that should be submitted, but which they never thought about.
The issue is that you have many petitions and other documents to submit. If you don’t submit the right documents, at the right time, your Green Card can be denied. Then you will have to refile, which would then cost a total of nearly $3,000 just for filing fees, and you will have to wait longer to get what you want.
Filing for your Green Card through marriage by yourself can get very expensive very quickly.
You should seriously consider seeing an immigration lawyer about your case. If you are not already married, you should see your immigration attorney first. Even the timing of your marriage can give you serious problems later on.
Your immigration lawyer will ensure that you get the best chance of getting your Green Card. Your Green Card Through marriage to a US. Citizens is not an automatic guaranteed right. The USCIS can deny your Green Card as they have the right to deny you at their option.
This may be the quickest and easiest way to get the card.
Even so, you will need to draft and file the Medical Report of the certified Civil Surgeon, biographic information for both spouses, employment authorization, affidavit of support, e-notification of acceptance, petition for alien relative, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status and travel authorization, if needed. If you get any of this wrong, then you may lose. That is why it is best to get the advice of an immigration attorney.
How to get green card in USA?
If the foreign spouse is in the USA and you are a United States Citizens, the spouse can stay here in the U.S. during the process of getting the Green Card.
Green Card Though Marriage to Green Card Holder
Getting your Green Card by marriage to a permanent resident or Green Card Holder is on a lower level than marriage to a U.S. Citizen. Your foreign spouse will need to return to the home Country during the Green Card process. The time it takes varies and could be 12 to 18 months, and sometimes longer.
Of course, this can change if the Green Card spouse gets their citizenship. This places the foreign spouse in another, higher classification, which could then allow then to get into the U.S. sooner. These are things that will need to be discussed with your immigration lawyer, who can guide and advise you through the process.
Hopefully, this will answer the question of how to get a Green Card. But really, this is just the basis of how to get a Green Card. Once you have a way or basis, you may just need help getting it done.
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Disclaimer: Ray Wood, an immigration lawyer, Albany, NY and Capital District area, has written this post, but this is NOT legal advice and you should not rely on this writing as legal advice.