The USA immigration process is quite extensive, and it’s necessary to follow each step of the process exactly as directed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The most common ways of immigrating to the US are described below, but first, it’s important to understand the difference between immigrant and non-immigrant visas, since they each come with different steps in the immigration process.
Immigrant visas are required if you want to live permanently in the United States, while non-immigrant visas are required if you want to visit or work temporarily in the United States for less than six months.
Who Can Become an Immigrant?
The United States requires that all immigrants must have a visa or permit to enter the country. There are several ways for foreigners to gain access to a visa, though, including family relationships and employment. Each category has its own requirements and restrictions, so it’s important to understand how the laws that administer these procedures work.
It also is imperative that you be truthful in your application, as falsifying information on your visa application is illegal and could affect the processing of your documents.
What’s an immigrant?:
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), any person who intends to live permanently in another country is considered an immigrant.
What Are The Green Card Requirements?
Green card holders must apply for citizenship after five years of residency. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provides a list of requirements on its website, including proof of green card status (which can be renewed every 10 years), proof of English proficiency, and fingerprinting at an Application Support Center or another designated location.
In addition, if you’re 18 years old or older you must pass a citizenship test that includes questions about U.S. history and government — basically, it helps ensure that you’re able to assimilate into American culture while preserving your identity as an immigrant.
Immigrants must also pass a background check before they can obtain citizenship, which requires documenting any criminal activity in their past along with providing fingerprints and other biometric data.
How To Apply for a Green Card?
After a U.S. employer files an employment-based petition on your behalf, you will receive notice of whether you are eligible for permanent residence and, if so, when to submit Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). The current filing fee is $1,140 and filing can be done by mail or in person at a USCIS office.
Requirements to Qualify as a Legal Immigrant
To qualify as a legal immigrant, one must first have an acceptable form of identification. If a person has been born in a foreign country and does not have any proof of citizenship, that person will be required to show evidence of their citizenship in order to become a legal immigrant.
The government requires all individuals seeking U.S. citizenship through employment or family ties (citizenship by birth) to apply for a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card).
Once you receive your Green Card, you will be given access and authorization to live, work and study permanently in America with no restrictions on any travel outside of your home country. As long as you stay within the United States you are eligible for further residency but many do choose later to apply for U.S.
USA Immigration Process as Refugees and Asylees
Refugees are fleeing persecution or danger in their home country and often cannot return for fear of death or other harm. They are seeking protection from another government that is willing to offer it.
Asylees’ status is granted to those who apply after having already arrived in another country, with a reasonable belief that, should they be returned to their home country, they would be persecuted for their race, religion, nationality, political beliefs, or for belonging to a particular social group.