How to Get a Green Card to Live in the USA (2023)

live and worklegally in the US is the desire of many people and, for that, you need to know how to get a Green Card.

This permanent residency visa is the path toAmerican dream, as it authorizes a foreigner to accept a job offer and permanently take up residence in the country.

Thus, it is also possible to study, travel and have access to many American rights.

Furthermore, it is from the Green Card that you can apply foramerican citizenship.

There are different ways to gain permanent residency and each of them has specific requirements, processes and documentation.

In this article, we will show you how to get the Green Card, what the process is like for each modality, which criteria must be met, the necessary documentation and an average of values.

How to Get a Green Card in the United States

Green Card means green card, but for those who dreamimmigratefor the US, this is a “golden ticket”, the key that will unlock the doors to Uncle Sam's kingdom.

There are different ways to get the Green Card, either by kinship, by marriage, bywork, as an investor and even by lottery.

Each type of Green Card requires specific procedures and documentation, which we will see below.

How to get a Green Card for work

Employment-Based (EB) visas are one of the ways to get a Green Card.

To do so, you must have a job offer in the US and professionally fulfill different requirements according to the type of visa.

The visaEB-1is aimed at professionals withextraordinary abilitiesin science, art, education, business or athletics, for outstanding professors and researchers, and for managers or executives of multinationals.

OEB-2 visacan be requested for postgraduate professionals or withexceptional skills, while theEB-3 visait is granted to specialized professionals and workers who work in areas with a shortage of labor in the country.

See more details about the EB-3 visa in this video on our YouTube channel:

The EB-4 visa is for special immigrants, such as religious workers, professionals who will work in the US media, and employees of international organizations or NATO.

In all these categories, the company must have an approved labor certification.

The process begins with an immigrant petition, which must be filed by the employer, on form I-140 with the Immigration Service (USCIS).

For the special immigrant category, the form must be the I-360.

After approval of the petition, if you are already in the US on an immigrant visa, you must file the I-485 form for registration of permanent residence or undergo the process ofstatus adjustment.

If you are not in the US, you must go through a consular process to apply for an immigrant visa using Form DS-260 atConsular Center for Electronic Application website.

So, schedule an interview at the consulate and the collection of biometric data, in addition to medical examinations with professionals authorized by the US government.

There is also the categoryEB-2 YEAR, based on national interest.

In this case, it is in the interest of the US to receive a certain professional given his or her exceptional ability and advanced qualifications and, therefore, it is not requiredsponsorand work certificate.

On our YouTube channel you can find several videos about Green Card and EB-2 NIW, like this one:

In that case, the professional himself can file the petition.

See on our YouTube channel how you can start the EB-2 NIW process yourself:

How to Get a Green Card by Marriage

Another way to get the Green Card is bymarriagewith a US citizen or permanent resident.

Watch a video on our YouTube channel on how to get a Green Card by marriage:

To apply for a Green Card by marriage, a US citizen or permanent resident must file a petition with Form I-130, present a marriage certificate and other documents.

When the alien is eligible, an adjustment of status must be filed on Form I-485.

The next step is to attend the Green Card interview at an immigration service office.

It is important to remember that if you are outside Brazil and wish to enter the country to marry an American citizen or permanent resident, you will need afiance visa(K1) with Form I-129F.

How to get a Green Card by Relationship

You can also get a Green Card by relationship.

US citizens can apply for their parents, spouse, children and siblings.

Permanent residents can apply only for their unmarried children and spouses.

The family-based petition must be filed by theU.S. citizen or permanent resident with Form I-130.

If the foreign relative is already in the US, the adjustment of status application must be filed with Form I-485.

If the relative is outside the US, they must complete the consular process to apply for a family-based immigration visa, undergo a medical examination and interview.

In all cases, the degree of familiarity must be proven.

How to Get an Investor Green Card

You can still earn the Green Card with the EB-5 investor visa, which is also Employment-Based.

It is necessary to invest at least US$ 1 million in the American market or US$ 500 thousand in a specific area, in addition to creating at least 10 new jobs.

A sponsor or work certification is not necessary in this case, and the foreigner himself must file the petition using the I-526 form, present all the required documentation, appear for the biometric collection and interview, in addition to a medical examination.

How to get Green Card by lottery

There is still thegreen card lottery, which is the Diversity Visa (DV) Program, with a limited number of immigrant visas annually to a list of eligible countries.

To participate, initially Brazil must be on the list in the year you intend to run and the petition must be submitted electronicallyrespecting the dates informed by the Department of State.

After registering, you must print the page with your confirmation number and check in the system, within the specified period, if your request was approved.

If selected, you must complete the DS-260 form and schedule an interview at the US consulate or embassy in Brazil, but if you are already in the US, you must complete the adjustment of status process.

You must also prove your qualifications (training and professional experience) and provide all the required documentation and undergo medical examinations.

This is a cost-free process.

How to get a green card with a tourist visa

As a tourist, you cannot apply for a Green Card, but you can apply for an adjustment of status to an immigrant visa if you are eligible.

Discover, on our YouTube channel, the story of Duda, who traveled to the USA as a tourist and today has a Green Card:

Next, let's see if it's possible to keep your Green Card without living in the US.

Is it possible to keep the Green Card living in Brazil?

The Green Card is granted to immigrants who wish to live in the US and its bearer cannot stay outside the country for more than 12 consecutive months.

However, as a permanent resident, you can travel and return multiple times, as long as your absence is for a short period.

There are cases in which you can stay outside the US for up to two years, but upon returning you must prove the reason for your prolonged absence and convince the authorities of your intention to live on US soil.

If the Immigration Service understands that you do not actually live in the US and do not intend to do so, it may consider that your permanent resident status has been abandoned and you lose your Green Card.

What are the documents to get the Green Card?

To apply for the Green Card, you need to present many documents that prove family relationship, marriage, job offer, in addition to vaccines and medical examinations.

Also, you will need the following forms:

• I-130 (kinship)
• I-140 (work)
• I-360 (special immigrant)
• I-526 (investor)
• I-485 (Adjustment of Status or Permanent Residence)
• I-129F (grooms)
• DS-260 (immigrant visa).

How much does it cost to get a Green Card

The cost of the Green Card varies according to the category, but see below the value of the forms:

• I-129F: US $ 535
• I-130: US $ 535
• I-140: US $ 700
• I-360: US $ 435
• I-526: US $ 3.675
• I-485: $1.225.

In addition, there are documentation costs, medical exams and even proof of financial support, in the case of a Green Card by kinship, if the request is made within the USA.

How does Imigrafácil help you get a Green Card?

Now that you know the different ways to get a Green Card, are you ready to start this process?

There are many steps to be taken and you must be careful not to make mistakes and even choose the best immigrant visa for your profile.

Aeasy immigrantcan help in several ways and one of them is mentoring, offering guidance and preparation for all stages of the immigration process, from planning to practical issues of immigration.life in usa.

You can identify which one is seen that best fits your profile with the Vistometer: just answer a few questions and the program calculates your chances of winning it.

Finally, you will find complete material on the main reasons to immigrate, information on visas, lifestyle and much more with ourPractical Guide to Immigrate to the USA.

Contact Usand get your plans off paper!