Green Card Lawyer in New York
Apply For a USA Green Card & Criminal Defense
Green cards grant permission to foreign nationals to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. Green card holders have permanent residence status, which they can obtain while residing in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa or in their home country. U.S. immigration law allows foreign citizens to gain permanent residency in several different ways. These include:
- Family-based immigration
- Employment-based immigration
- Refugee or asylum status
- Special categories of jobs, families, and special adjustment programs
Green Card Eligibility and Pathways
Eligible green card applicants must qualify for one of the established immigrant categories
- Have an immigrant petition filed and approved on their behalf
- Have an immigrant visa available
- Be admissible into the United States
Immigrant Categories
Green card applicants will apply for green cards through either family-based immigration, employment-based immigration, refugee or asylum status or other special circumstances. The two most common pathways to permanent residency arefamily-based immigration and employment-based immigration.
Immigrant Petition
Foreign nationals must have an immigrant petition filed on their behalf. The petition will be filed by a relative or employer, or other person depending on the situation, and will establish the basis on an applicant’s immigration and their immigrant classification.
Visa Availability
Visas will be made available according to the unique circumstances of an applicant. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens will always have visas available and do not have to wait to obtain permanent residency. Other applicants must wait for visas to become available according to their priority date, preference category, and country of origin.
U.S. Admissibility
All green card applicants must be eligible for admission into the United States. The USCIS can declare an applicant inadmissible for a variety of reasons, some of which include health, criminal, and security-related issues.
