It is rather difficult to obtain a residence permit in America. The most acceptable way to move is to apply for a Green Card. It can be obtained not only by people who have grounds for immigration, but also by casual applicants. The United States regularly holds draws of cards, by participating in which you can win the coveted document.
What is a Green Card for?
A green card is a special permit that is equivalent to a residence permit and allows employment. It gives you the opportunity to live in the country legally and get a job in accordance with your qualifications.
With such a permit, a foreigner can leave the territory of the state and return back an unlimited number of times. After 5 years of permanent residence in the United States with a Green Card, an immigrant is eligible to apply for recognition as a US citizen.
Outwardly, it looks like a small greenish plastic rectangle. It reflects all the basic information about the owner, including fingerprints.
Annually, under the existing resettlement programs, about 1 million foreigners receive a residence permit in America.
How to get a Green Card
Obtaining a Greencard involves the collection of numerous documents and financial costs. The immigration law of the United States strictly applies to foreigners wishing to move to the country for permanent residence.
The easiest way to buy a card is to win the lottery. Participation in the drawing is not paid for and does not require the collection of a large number of papers. For family migration, it is better for everyone to fill out the questionnaire.
If one of the family members wins the coveted permit, the rest also acquire the right to apply for a residence permit.
For the drawing every year they leave 100 thousand... Green card, but only 55 thous. winners get the chance to relocate to the United States.
Methods of obtaining
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In most cases, in order to acquire a Green Card, a foreigner needs to have a good reason. These include:
- Marriage to an American citizen;
- Family ties with the inhabitants of the country;
- Employment in the United States;
- Large investments;
- Training followed by employment;
- Buying or starting a business;
- Obtaining asylum;
- Winning the lottery.
A green card is issued for a period of 1,3 and 5 years old depending on the reasons for its registration. In some cases, the applicant has to live in the country for up to 3 years, having only a visa or a temporary residence permit.
When applying for a Green Card, you must collect all the required documents. A frequent reason for refusal is precisely the absence of any certificate.
General package of documents:
- Passport, both domestic and foreign;
- Birth certificate;
- Medical certificate of health status;
- Certificate from the absence of a criminal record in the home country;
- Marriage certificate;
- Birth certificate of children;
- The photo;
- Financial and salary certificates;
- Documents confirming the existence of grounds for moving.
The nuances of moving programs
| The name of the program | Description | Supporting documents |
| Marriage | Starting a family with an American citizen. Green card is issued for 2 years with the possibility of extension for another year | Marriage certificate |
| Family reunification | For those with direct relatives of American citizenship | Confirmation of relationship (birth certificate, marriage certificate) |
| Employment | An employer who has permission to hire foreigners can invite a specialist from another state |
|
| Investors and business | An investment of $ 500,000 to $ 1 million in a country's economy or opening a company that creates jobs for Americans. A visa is issued for a year with the ability to issue a Green Card. |
|
| Getting asylum | A green card is given to people who are persecuted in their homeland for political or religious beliefs, race |
|
| Winning the lottery | Free raffles are held annually, in which the draw decides which of the applicants will be given a Green Card | Application form completed on the website |
Reference! If you buy real estate in America, you can get an advantage when registering the right to stay in the state.
Photo requirements:
- Solid white background;
- The face is in the center of the photo, the gaze is directed towards the camera;
- Natural skin color;
- The head takes 55-60% of the photo;
- Photo without retouching;
- JPEG format (.jpg);
- 24-bit color depth;
- Resolution from 600 * 600 to 1200 * 1200 pixels;
- Lack of shadow on a white background;
- No glare on the glasses.
Reference! You can take a photo either in a specialized salon or on your own.
How is the green card drawing going?
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To be able to participate in the drawing, the applicant must leave an application on the official website. Typically, cards are played annually from October to November.
People born in an eligible country can participate in the lottery. Russians, as well as citizens of Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan can register on the website and fill out a questionnaire.
The applicant must be over 18 years of age and hold a high school diploma. In the absence of a document from an educational institution, you must have work experience in a position for which training is required for at least two years. Check work experience on the website of the Department of Labor.
Application for participation is a questionnaire-questionnaire in English. After filling out, a special program checks for errors, compliance of the questionnaire and photographs with the requirements. Applications that have not passed verification are automatically eliminated.
Reference! One applicant can only submit one application. If duplicated questionnaires are found, they are removed from the drawing.
A criminal record is an obstacle to obtaining a Green Card. If the applicant has committed a crime by a minor and after that more than 5 years have passed, he has the right to apply for a residence permit. The same applies to people sentenced once for a term of less than 6 months. In such circumstances, it is best to seek legal advice.
When is the lottery held
In 2020, you can apply for the 2021 Green Card draw. Applications will open on October 1 and continue until November 3. Applications sent before the start or after the end of the acceptance will not participate in the drawing.
In May 2020, the results of the draw will be announced. In October, interviews will be held and visas will be issued to the winners.
How to fill out a questionnaire
The application form for participation in the drawing will be filled out on the website. All data is entered in English without typos and errors. The questions included in the questionnaire are extremely simple. A person with basic knowledge of English will easily answer them.
If you find it difficult to fill out the questionnaire yourself or have any questions, you can contact specialized consultants.
All proposed items must be completed. Leaving any column blank is prohibited.
When filling out, the applicant should avoid basic mistakes:
- Deliberately give false information;
- Skip any questions;
- Upload a photo of an inappropriate format or used during the previous participation in the drawing;
- Introduce outdated names of settlements;
- Do not list children from previous marriages;
- Submit multiple profiles.
How to send a questionnaire
When all the items are filled in, a complete questionnaire form appears with all the entered data. After checking for errors, the applicant will be offered several options for action:
- Return to the first page and correct mistakes;
- Send the questionnaire later;
- Submit now.
If the acceptance of applications has already started, and no errors were found in the questionnaire, you need to click the "submit entry" button.
How is the drawing held?
After the deadline for submission of applications, a specially created computer program will filter out those that are filled in with errors or duplicate each other. Then another program will randomly select a set number of winners.
What the winner needs to know
The migrant, whose application was among the winners, needs to attend to obtaining a visa. Not all Green Card winners get the opportunity to use it.
After the announcement of the results, you need to fill out a visa application form on the official website. Further, a letter with the appointed date of the interview comes to the specified e-mail. It will be held for all winners starting in September.
Until that time, you need to collect the established package of documents for applying for a visa and undergo a medical examination. The resulting envelope with the results cannot be opened. It is passed unchanged to the interviewer.
After visiting the consulate and obtaining a visa, the migrant will have 6 months to enter the United States.
Can I buy a Green Card
It is impossible to buy a green card. It is issued for a specific person. This also applies to lottery-won permits.
Buying a Green Card can be conventionally considered an investment in the US economy. Thus, for the invested funds, a foreigner is given a residence permit.
How much does it cost to apply for and validity of a green card?
A green card won in the lottery is valid for 10 years. After that, if citizenship has not been issued, it can be exchanged for a new one. Green cards obtained in other ways have different validity periods depending on the reasons for issuance.
The work permit will be valid until the end of the contract. A relative's residence permit is given for 2-3 years, after which citizenship is issued.
To get a Green Card, you will need to pay the consular fee when applying for a visa (cost about 350 dollars) and spend money on processing various documents, obtaining certificates. The total cost of the process is 1000-1500 dollars.
What to do in case of refusal
Consideration of applications for a residence permit is considered individually. Sometimes the reason for the refusal can be incorrectly completed documents or inaccurate information. Some people are denied permission even with the correct paperwork.
The reason for the refusal can be:
- A migrant's previous convictions;
- Mental illness;
- Cooperation with terrorist and criminal structures;
- Health problems (tuberculosis, leprosy and incurable sexually transmitted diseases).
To appeal, you must file a petition for a review online or contact the Immigration Appeals Committee.
Rights and obligations of Green Card holders
The Green Card gives the immigrant the ability to freely enter and leave the country. He has the right to live in any state of his choice and work in available positions.
The immigrant is obliged to pay taxes on time and comply with the laws of the country. It is also important to renew the residence permit on time.
A green card can be canceled if:
- The migrant has committed illegal acts;
- Hiding from taxes;
- Stays in the country for less than 6 months a year.
How to renew a green card
To extend the validity period of the permit, you must submit an application on the website. There is no need to come in person and stand in lines. The request can be made online or ordered to send documents to be filled in by mail.
Reference! The renewal of the permission takes place if the grounds for doing so remain.
Despite the strict immigration laws in the United States, it is still possible to obtain the right to live and work in the country. For people who have no reason to move, but have a strong desire, the lottery is the best option. Thus, you can settle in the country and eventually become its citizen. Thanks to the draws, a large number of emigrants from the Russian Federation arrive in the United States every year, who later become full-fledged Americans.
