The usefulness of the Green Card in the USA

The difference between the Green Card and travel visas

A trip to the United States requires you to complete the formalities for entry into the USA. These administrative procedures depend on the duration of the stay and its purpose (tourism, studies, employment, transit…). When your project is to work, a Visa may be sufficient but it only authorizes stays of 6 consecutive months maximum.

The most coveted solution for a sustainable residence is the Green Card. This is a permanent resident card granted by the USCIS. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is part of the Department of Homeland Security. The Green Card allows you to become a permanent American resident. In addition, it grants many of the same rights as those of a traditional American citizen without the holder being considered as such. The only rights not granted by the Green Card are voting and jury duty.

U.S. citizenship can be applied for in a naturalization process by anyone who has held a green card for at least 5 years. Please note that an individual can have his or her card withdrawn under certain conditions, for example if he or she leaves the United States for too long.

After 10 years, the card must be renewed. There is a version valid for 2 years, called “conditional”. After 2 years, if the conditions in question are no longer met, the resident loses his status.

Photo Green Card

Here is the image of the American Green Card. This image has been modified to hide the information of the holder of this permanent resident permit. The Green Card photo ID must be less than six months old and comply with the rules in terms of facial expression and photo size.

How do I get a Green Card?

The conditions and procedures for obtaining the program vary depending on the applicant’s situation. Overall, four cases lead to a Green Card application with USCIS:

1- Obtain a Green Card for family reasons. Marriage is the most common family reason. From the age of 21, an American citizen can apply for a resident card for a family member wishing to settle in the USA with him/her. This request can concern: parent, child, spouse, brother or sister. In order to avoid sham marriages, the authorities carefully study the applicant’s situation before authorizing the issuance of the certificate.

2- Apply for a Green Card for professional reasons: if you wish to work in the United States, it is up to the company concerned to confirm your application for a resident card. The employer may have to pay the application fee and help you with the administrative process. This possibility is not available to all foreign workers. It only applies to those who are sufficiently professionally qualified according to the criteria of the American authorities.

3- Try your luck at the Green Card lottery: the Green Card is awarded to 50,000 foreigners each year by lottery. Registration is done online each year in the third quarter of the calendar year.

4- Application for a Green Card for political reasons: after one year of residence as an asylum seeker in the United States, the application for a Green Card becomes possible.

For a limited time stay, you should consider applying for a US visa instead.