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Green Card Application Guide U.S. Publishers eBook Division GREEN CARD APPLICATION GUIDE 18TH EDITION Electronic Version (e-book) www.usimmigrationsupport.org Disclaimer “U.S. Publishers, Inc.”, the publisher of this information manual, is an independent non- governmental organization. “U.S. Publishers, Inc.” is not affiliated with the United States government. Copyright Warning This publication is copyrighted by “U.S. Publishers, Inc.” No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or translated into any language, in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without prior written permission of “U.S. Publishers, Inc.” All violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Official government forms (if any) included with this publication are copyrighted by the U.S. government, not by “U.S. Publishers, Inc.” © 2008 U.S. PUBLISHERS, Inc. 511 Avenue of the Americas # 45 · New York, NY 10011 www.usimmigrationsupport.org Green Card Application Guide Table of Contents GREEN CARD APPLICATION GUIDE 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 6 1.1 WHAT IS A GREEN CARD? ............................................................................................................... 6 1.2 CONDITIONAL RESIDENT GREEN CARD ........................................................................................... 6 1.3 PERMANENT RESIDENT GREEN CARD ............................................................................................. 6 1.4 TRAVELING WITH A GREEN CARD ................................................................................................... 6 1.5 FORM I-131 “APPLY FOR A REENTRY PERMIT” FROM WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ........................ 7 1.6 APPLY FOR REENTRY PERMIT VISA FROM ABROAD ........................................................................ 8 1.7 COMMUTER STATUS FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING IN CANADA AND MEXICO .................................. 8 2.0 GREEN CARD THROUGH ADOPTION ..................................................................................... 9 2.1 BENEFITS FOR THE ADOPTED CHILD ............................................................................................. 10 2.2 LIMITATIONS FOR THE ADOPTED CHILD ........................................................................................ 10 2.3 HOW TO APPLY ............................................................................................................................. 10 3.0 GREEN CARD THROUGH EMPLOYMENT ........................................................................... 11 3.1 EMPLOYMENT FIRST PREFERENCE ................................................................................................ 11 3.2 EMPLOYMENT SECOND PREFERENCE ............................................................................................ 12 3.3 EMPLOYMENT THIRD PREFERENCE ............................................................................................... 12 3.4 EMPLOYMENT FOURTH PREFERENCE ............................................................................................ 13 3.5 EMPLOYMENT FIFTH PREFERENCE ................................................................................................ 13 3.6 BENEFITS ....................................................................................................................................... 13 3.7 DRAWBACKS ................................................................................................................................. 13 3.8 ACCOMPANYING RELATIVES ......................................................................................................... 14 3.9 INADMISSIBILITY ........................................................................................................................... 14 3.10 JOB OFFER FROM U.S. EMPLOYER ................................................................................................. 14 3.11 CORRECT BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 14 3.12 NO QUALIFIED AMERICANS .......................................................................................................... 14 3.13 HOW TO APPLY ............................................................................................................................. 15 4.0 GREEN CARD THROUGH INVESTEMENT ........................................................................... 16 4.1 GREEN CARD THROUGH INVESTMENT PRIVILEGES ........................................................................ 16 4.2 GREEN CARD THROUGH INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS ..................................................................... 17 4.3 ACCOMPANYING RELATIVES ......................................................................................................... 17 4.4 INADMISSIBILITY ........................................................................................................................... 17 4.5 GREEN CARD WITH CONDITIONS ................................................................................................... 17 4.6 HOW TO APPLY ............................................................................................................................. 17 5.0 GREEN CARD THROUGH MARRIAGE .................................................................................. 18 5.1 MARRIAGE INSIDE THE UNITED STATES ........................................................................................ 18 5.2 MARRIAGE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES ..................................................................................... 18 5.3 CONDITIONAL RESIDENCE GREEN CARD THROUGH MARRIAGE .................................................... 18 5.4 HOW TO APPLY ............................................................................................................................. 19 6.0 GREEN CARD AS A SPECIAL IMMIGRANT ......................................................................... 20 6.1 ACCOMPANYING RELATIVES ......................................................................................................... 20 6.2 INADMISSIBILITY ........................................................................................................................... 20 6.3 GREEN CARD AS A SPECIAL IMMIGRANT ....................................................................................... 20 ⎪ Page 2 ⎪ ⎪ www.usimmigrationsupport.org Green Card Application Guide 6.4 RELIGIOUS WORKERS .................................................................................................................... 20 6.5 FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES ................................................................................................... 21 6.6 FORMER OVERSEAS UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WORKERS .................................................... 21 6.7 RETIRED EMPLOYEES OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ......................................................... 21 6.8 PERSON DECLARED DEPENDANT ON A JUVENILE COURT .............................................................. 22 6.9 HOW TO APPLY ............................................................................................................................. 22 7.0 GREEN CARD THROUGH A RELATIVE ................................................................................ 23 7.1 IMMEDIATE RELATIVE OF A UNITED STATES CITIZEN ................................................................... 23 7.2 PREFERENCE RELATIVE OF A GREEN CARD HOLDER OR U.S. CITIZEN ........................................... 23 7.3 ACCOMPANYING RELATIVE OF SOMEONE IN A PREFERENCE CATEGORY ...................................... 23 7.4 MARRIAGE TO A UNITED STATES CITIZEN .................................................................................... 23 7.5 DIVORCE ....................................................................................................................................... 24 7.6 CRUELTY ....................................................................................................................................... 25 7.7 DEPORTATION ............................................................................................................................... 25 7.8 WIDOWS/WIDOWERS .................................................................................................................... 25 7.9 PERSONAL PROBLEMS ................................................................................................................... 25 7.10 HOW TO APPLY ............................................................................................................................. 25 8.0 THE DV LOTTERY (GREEN CARD LOTTERY) .................................................................... 27 8.1 OVERVIEW OF THE DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM ......................................................... 27 8.2 NUMBER OF APPLICANTS SELECTED PER COUNTRY ..................................................................... 27 8.3 DV-2007 (2005 GREEN CARD LOTTERY) ...................................................................................... 28 8.4 HOW TO APPLY ............................................................................................................................. 29 9.0 UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP ..............................................................................................
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