Qualifications for Green Card/Permanent Residency Through Family or Employment

In general, an alien may qualify for a green card through various means: family relationship with a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, sponsorship by an employer who can show that he has not been able to find a qualified U.S. worker for a particular job position, application on the basis of exceptional skills, or that one’s work or skills serve the national interest.

In some cases, one may be eligible for permanent residency through political asylum, or the DV Visa Lottery Program.

A Permanent Resident Card, commonly known as a Green Card, is evidence of your status as a lawful permanent resident with a right to live and work permanently in the United States. It also is evidence of your registration in accordance with United States immigration laws. The Permanent Resident Card is also called Form I-551.

You should renew your permanent resident card if you are a permanent resident who was issued a Form I-551 valid for ten years, and that card is either expired or will expire within the next six months.

Those who have green card applications pending, and need to travel, may need advance parole.

Permanent Residents, who intend to travel outside of the U.S., may need to apply for re-entry permits, in order to re-enter.

If the beneficiary of the green petition resides outside of the US, the visa approval is forwarded to the National Visa Center for additional processing and interview at the appropriate US consulate.