How to Get
Green Card
Are you Eligible to Apply
for an Adjustment of Status to Lawful Permanent Resident
and Get Green Card From Inside of the US?
You may be
eligible for an adjustment
of status, to get green card, to that of a lawful
permanent resident (green card holder) if you are
already in the United States and if one or more of
the following categories apply to you. You may also
even qualify for 245i
protection . Read on to also learn the exact steps
involved in applying
for a green card and the
medical examination required.
You are the
spouse, parent, unmarried child under age 21, the
unmarried son or daughter over age 21, the married
son or daughter, or the brother or sister of a United
States citizen and have a visa petition approved in
your behalf. Keep in mind however, that if you are
outside of the United States, then you may qualify
for a green card through
consular processing. You must also be aware of
the steps involved in consular process and adjustment
of status inside the US before making a decision.
 You
are the spouse or unmarried son or daughter of any
age of a lawful permanent resident and you have a
family-based visa petition approved in your behalf.
You are an
alien who has an approved visa petition filed in your
behalf by a United States employer. There is more
information about seeking a
green card through specific employment.
If you fit
into any of the three above categories, you are eligible
for adjustment of status, get green card to lawful
permanent resident (green card holder) from within
the United States. Remember that if you do not, the
alternate method of entering the United States with
a green card is through consular process and both
methods have advantages
and disadvantages.
Visa Number:
If you are
a Family- or Employment-based applicant, you must
have an immigrant visa number available from the State
Department unless you are in a category that is exempt
from numerical limitations. Immediate relatives of
United States citizens are exempt from this requirement.
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are parents,
spouses, and unmarried children under 21. (For instance,
you can apply to adjust to permanent resident status
at the same time that your U.S. citizen daughter files
an application for you to become an immigrant.)
Other immigrant
categories that are exempt from numerical limitations
and do not need a visa number include special immigrant
juvenile and special immigrant military petitions
to get green card.
For the unmarried
son or daughter (over 21 years of age) of a US Citizen,
brother or sister of a US Citizen, or the spouse or
children of lawful permanent residents, visa numbers
are limited by law every year to get green card. This
means that even if the USCIS approves an immigrant
visa petition for you, you may not get an immigrant
visa number immediately. In some cases, several years
could pass between the time the USCIS approves your
immigrant visa petition and the State Department gives
you an immigrant visa number.
Click
here to learn methods of eligibility for
an adjustment of status to obtain your US Green Card.
|
