Requirements for Green Card for residence in US

To apply green card you must be eligible with one of the categories listed below:

1. Through Family
 Immediate relative of a US citizen
 Spouse of US citizen
 Unmarried child under age 21 of a US citizen
 Parent of a US citizen who is at least 21 years old
 Other relative of US citizen or relative of lawful permanent resident
 Relative of US citizen
o Unmarried child of US citizen 21 years old or older
o Married child of US citizen
o Brother and sister of US citizen who is at least 21 years old
 Relative of Lawful permanent resident
o Spouse of lawful permanent resident
o Unmarried child under the age of 21 of a lawful permanent
resident
o Unmarried child 21 years old or over of a permanent resident
 Fiance of US citizen or fiance’s child
 Fiance of US citizen ( K-1 nonimmigrant)
 Child of Fiance of US citizen (K-2 nonimmigrant)
 Widow or widower of US citizen and was married to US citizen spouse at the
time of his/her death
 VAWA self petitioner-victim of battery or extreme cruelty
 Abused spouse of US citizen or lawful permanent resident
 Abused child( unmarried and under 21 years old) of a US citizen or lawful
permanent resident
 Abused parent of US citizen
2. Through Employment
 Immigrant worker
 First preference immigrant worker:
o Have extraordinary abiity in sciences, arts, education, business or
athletics, or
o Outstanding professor or researcher or
o Multinational manager or executive who meets certain criteria
 Second preference immigrant worker:
o Member of preofession that requires advanced degree, or
o Exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business, or
o Seeking a national interest waiver
 Third preference immigrant worker:
o Skilled worker ( job requires min. 2 years training or work
experience)
 o Professional ( job requires at least US bachelor’s degree or a
foreign equivalent or member of the profession), or
o Unskilled worker ( performs unskilled labor requiring less than 2
years training or experience)
 Physician National interest Waiver - agrees to work full-time in clinical practice in
a designated underserved area for a set period of time and also meets other
eligibility requirments
Immigrant investor- invested or actively in the process of investing $ 1 million ( or $500,000 in a
targeted employment area) in a commercial enterprise in the US which will creat full-time
positions for at least 10 qualifying employees. Generally takes from 22 to 26 months to
obtain legal residency through the program

3. Through Special Immigrant
 Reigious worker- Member of religious denomination coming to US to work for
non profit religious organization
 Special Juvenile Status-Child who has been abused, abandoned, or neglected by
parents
 Afghanistan or Iraq national
 Served as Afghan or Iraqi translator for US gov’t
 Employed by or for the US gov’t in Iraq on or after Mar 20,2003 for at
least one year
 Afghan employed by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
 International broadcaster- work in IS as member of media
 Employee of an international organization or family member or Nato-6
employee or family member- retired officer or employee of certain
international organizations, or Nato and certain family members
4. Through granted Refugee or Asylee status at least a 1 year ago
5. For Human trafficking victim- if currently has T nonimmigrant visa and Crime victim-if
currently has U nonimmigrant visa
6. Through Registry – has resided continuously in the US since Jan 1 1972

If eligible, file Form I-485 - Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status with
USCIS, including all supporting documents and fees.
Filing Fee:
Biometric
If You Are… Form Fee Total
Services Fee

Under 14 and filing with the I-485 $750 $0 $750

application of at least one parent

Under 14 and not filing with the I-485 application of at least one $1,140 $0 $1,140
parent
 Biometric
If You Are… Form Fee Total
Services Fee

Age 14 – 78 $1,140 $85 $1,225

Age 79 or older $1,140 $0 $1,140

Filing Form I-485 based on having been admitted to the United $0 $0 $0

States as a refugee

USCIS will review your application and schedule an interview with you.

Once issued, your Green Card will be valid for 10 years.

Reference: https://www.uscis.gov/i-485

To qualify as an immigrant investor, a foreign national must invest, without borrowing, the
following minimum qualifying capital dollar amounts in a qualifying commercial enterprise:

$1,000,000 (U.S.); or
$500,000 (U.S.) in a high-unemployment or rural area, considered a targeted employment area.
A qualifying investment must, within two years, create full-time jobs for at least 10 U.S. citizens,
lawful permanent residents, or other immigrants authorized to work in the United States, not
including the investor and the investor’s spouse, sons, or daughters.

Immigrant investor visa categories are:

Employment creation outside a targeted area – C5

Employment creation in a targeted rural/high unemployment area – T5
Investor Pilot Program not in a targeted area – R5
Investor Pilot Program in a targeted area – I5

To be considered for an E5 immigrant investor visa, an applicant must file Form I-526,
Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS). For more information on qualifying as an immigrant investor and filing the Form I-526
petition, see EB-5 Immigrant Investor, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Process, EB-5 Regional Centers,
and Permanent Workers on the USCIS website.

Labor certification is not required for immigrant investors.

The Form I-526 petition must be approved by the USCIS before applying for an immigrant visa
at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside the United States.
The First Step: File a Petition

To be considered for an E5 immigrant investor visa, an applicant must file Form I-526,
Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS). For more information on qualifying as an immigrant investor and filing the Form I-526
petition, see EB-5 Immigrant Investor, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Process, EB-5 Regional Centers,
and Permanent Workers on the USCIS website.

Labor certification is not required for immigrant investors.

The Form I-526 petition must be approved by the USCIS before applying for an immigrant visa
at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside the United States.

Next Steps: Fees and Visa Application

After USCIS approves the petition, it is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). Once received,
NVC will assign a case number for the petition. When an applicant’s priority date meets the
most recent qualifying date, NVC will instruct the applicant to complete Form DS-261, Choice of
Address and Agent. (NOTE: If you already have an attorney, NVC will not instruct you to
complete Form DS-261). NVC will begin pre-processing the applicant’s case by providing the
applicant with instructions to submit the appropriate fees. After the appropriate fees are paid,
NVC will request that the applicant submit the necessary immigrant visa documents, including
application forms, civil documents, and more. Learn more about National Visa Center visa case
processing and NVC's EB-5 Investor Assistance Desk.

Fees

Fees are charged for the following services:

Filing of Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur (this fee is charged by USCIS)
Processing an immigrant visa application, Form DS-260 (see Note below)
Medical examination and required vaccinations (costs vary)
Other costs may include: translations; photocopying charges; fees for obtaining the documents
you need for the immigrant visa application (such as passport, police certificates, birth
certificates, etc.); and expenses for travel to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for your visa
interview. Costs vary from country to country and case to case.
For current fees for Department of State services, see Fees for Visa Services. For current fees
for USCIS services, see Check Filing Fees on the USCIS website

Required Documentation
In general, the following documents are required:

Passport(s) valid for six months beyond the intended date of entry into the United States,
unless longer validity is specifically requested by the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your country.
Please review the instructions for guidance.
Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application.
Preview a sample DS-260 (6.4MB).
Two (2) 2x2 photographs. See the required photo format explained in Photograph
Requirements.
Civil Documents for the applicant. See Documents the Applicant Must Submit for more specific
information about documentation requirements, including information on which documents
may need to be translated. The consular officer may ask for more information during your visa
interview. Bring your original civil documents (or certified copies) such as birth and marriage
certificates, as well as legible photocopies of the original civil documents, and any required
translations to your immigrant visa interview. Original documents and translations can then be
returned to you.
Financial Support – At your immigrant visa interview, you must demonstrate to the consular
officer that you will not become a public charge in the United States.
Completed Medical Examination Forms – These are provided by the panel physician after you
have completed your medical examination and vaccinations (see below).