The card was first issued in a green color, and although it is no longer printed green, the label has become a common name for the legal permanent resident card.
People who travel to the United States with the desire to live there permanently often carry invisible luggage and that luggage holds many fears and anxieties about getting to the U.S. After arrival, they hold onto that luggage because it contains even more anxieties and concerns about being allowed to stay in the U.S. We understand your anxieties and concerns because many of us have felt the same way. However, once you are settled in the U.S., it is time to put away your luggage and secure your legal permanent resident card, also known as a “green card.” The card was first issued in a green color, and although it is no longer printed green, the label has become a common name for the legal permanent resident card.
The process of getting a green card is complex and it comes with a series of questions and components that aren’t always easy for the applicant to address. The first and best suggestion in this article is to contact an experienced and knowledgeable green card attorney who will not only introduce you to the application but will fully assist you in comprehending each element and completing it. You may be concerned about the costs associated with this process or have several questions about the application itself; however, your highly-capable green card attorney will work with you to take care of the details involved.
In addition to contacting a highly capable green card attorney, we’ve collected the following suggestions that, with your attorney’s advice, will help lead the way to getting your green card successfully. Many aspects of the green card application will be simple to complete, others may require time and assistance to determine the best answers. Individuals often look at the application and decide they can fill it out without assistance; our best advice is to avoid taking that route. Applications are routinely denied when even the smallest mistake is present. You don’t want to get caught in that difficult place by trying to complete the application without a green card attorney.
After following the first suggestion to find an excellent green card attorney, consider our second suggestion: Think carefully about any family members you may already have in the United States. There are two types of visas that can be obtained via a familial connection: Family Relative Petitions and the Family Preference Visa. Do you have a parent in the U.S.? What about a sister in the U.S? Do you have a daughter or mother in the U.S? Making an immediate family connection will offer the opportunity to be given a Family Relative Petition in a fairly fast process as long as your family member will sponsor you.
A Family Preference Visa can be obtained, as well, albeit through a more extensive application process and a longer wait. In short, there are multiple opportunities to find family members who can sponsor you and you’ll want to conduct the research needed to find them and move toward the visa you need. If you have little to no information about the location of family members in the U.S., do some research in public records and talk with other family members to determine the city where family members reside. From there, a relative can often be located with the help of your local librarians and others who can assist in a public name search.
The third suggestion that will lead to success in securing your green card application acceptance is using a Temporary U.S. Work Visa while seeking a green card in the U.S. An employer can sponsor you in the U.S., however, the employer must be in the position of offering you employment before you can secure this type of visa. If you can obtain employment by asking family members and friends to help you find a willing employer, this type of entry toward a legal permanent resident card may be the way to move forward for you. The requirements for the Temporary U.S. Work Visa are surprisingly very demanding. For example, you must work for specific employers, including, for example, taking a position with certain science-based businesses and having a high degree of expertise, or in another example, you must be working for an agricultural company with a certain job assignment. The requirements are detailed; however, if you fit into one of the categories, the Temporary U.S. Work Visa can lead to a green card and, eventually, naturalization and citizenship in the U.S.
The fourth suggestion that will take you closer to success when applying for a green card is that of maintaining communication with your attorney. It is easy, particularly if you are employed in the U.S., to place the application information needed for your green card at the bottom of your drawer and ignore the work which must be done to complete your application. Your attorney can only work on your behalf with the items and information you provide. Equally important is that you’ll want to have all necessary forms, papers, bank information, and other items available and ready to submit when your attorney needs them for filing. Yes, it is sometimes tiresome to search for necessary items, but your success in filing the application will be finalized only with your assistance in whatever your attorney requires.
The fifth suggestion is one of practicality: if you are in danger of being deported during the time you are waiting for a visa or green card, or if, for some reason, you are not eligible for a visa or green card, contact your green card attorney who can assist you in other legal avenues to stay within the U.S. For example, you may be eligible to apply for asylum, even if deportation is in process, and there are other remedies to avoid being deported. The best avenue you can take will be through your attorney to resolve this issue.
The suggestions offered here that will lead to successfully obtaining your green card start with contacting an experienced green card attorney and end with the same note: your attorney can assist in every facet of your search for and eventual success in obtaining your green card. We wish you the best of success!
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