Part II Introduction to Permanent U.s. Residence (green Cards)

• Library: U.S. Immigration Made Easy (Nolo) (2023 Ed.)

PART II Introduction to Permanent U.S. Residence (Green Cards)

A. Categories of Green Card Applicants

1. Immediate Relatives
2. Other Relatives
3. Employment-Based Green Cards
4. How the Numerical Limits Affect Your Wait for a Green Card
5. Diversity Visa: Green Card Lottery
6. Refugees and Asylees
7. Long-Term Residents and Other Special Cases

B. How Many Green Cards Are Available?

This portion of the book introduces the topic of U.S. lawful permanent residence, otherwise known as having a green card. People all over the world have heard of green cards. It is the popular term for the Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), which is, in fact, green in color.

A lot of people mistakenly believe that green cards are nothing more than work permits. While a green card does give you the right to work legally in the U.S. where and when you wish, that is just one of its features. Identifying the holder as a permanent resident of the U.S. is its main function.

Don't bother applying for a green card if actually living in the U.S. is not your goal. When you have a green card, you are required to make the U.S. your permanent home. If you don't, you risk losing your card forever. This does not mean your ability to travel in and out of the U.S. is limited. Freedom to travel as you choose is an important benefit of a green card. However, no matter how much you travel, your permanent home must be in the U.S., or your card will be revoked. It's wise not to spend more than six months at a time outside the United States.

All green cards issued since 1989 (except "conditional" green cards) carry expiration dates of ten years from the date of issue. This does not mean that the residency itself expires in ten years, just that the card must be replaced.

A. Categories of Green Card Applicants

There are nine main categories of people who can apply for green cards. In some of the categories, you are immediately eligible for a green card, in others you must wait until one is available. We briefly describe the categories here, but please refer to the appropriate chapter of this book for details.

1. Immediate Relatives

An unlimited number of green cards can be issued to immigrants who are immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. Immediate relatives are defined as:

• spouses of U.S. citizens, including recent widows and widowers
• unmarried people under the age of 21 who have at least one U.S. citizen parent
• parents of U.S. citizens, if the U.S. citizen child is age 21 or older
• stepchildren and stepparents, if the marriage creating the stepparent/stepchild relationship took place before the child's 18th birthday, and
• parents and children related through adoption, if the adoption took place before the child reached

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