| Permanent Residency. Permanent | | | | The relationship is only one criteria in |
| residency is often referred to as having | | | | determining preference. A second |
| a Green Card. There are two primary | | | | criteria includes the country of the |
| categories of immigration: Immigrant | | | | relative's origin. Economically poor |
| status and Non-immigrant status. | | | | countries such as China and India tend |
| Immigrant status allows permanent | | | | to have the longest waiting periods. |
| residency in the United States. | | | | Employment Immigration Green Card. |
| Non-immigrant status provides an | | | | Aliens seeking permanent residency in |
| authorization to aliens for temporary | | | | the United States for employment |
| residency that expires upon the | | | | purposes must fit into one of five |
| occurrence of a specific event. | | | | categories. The first category is |
| A Permanent Resident is commonly | | | | "Priority Workers" which includes |
| referred to as a "Green Card" holder. | | | | Intra-Company Transferees of Managers |
| Permanent residents have many rights | | | | and Executives, Outstanding Professors |
| which include the following: | | | | and Researchers and Aliens of |
| The right to live in the United States | | | | Extraordinary Ability in the Sciences, |
| permanently; | | | | Arts, Education, Business and Athletics. |
| The right to reenter the United States | | | | The second employment category is |
| after traveling out of the country | | | | "Aliens of Exceptional Ability in the |
| abroad; | | | | Sciences, Arts or Business" which |
| The right to apply for U.S. Citizenship | | | | includes Professionals with advanced |
| after continuously living as a Permanent | | | | degrees. The third category includes |
| Resident in the United States for five | | | | "Professionals with Bachelors Degrees |
| (5) years | | | | not qualifying in the 2nd Preference, |
| The right to employment in any work that | | | | skilled workers, and unskilled workers |
| is legal; | | | | in special needs professions. The fourth |
| There are four main categories for green | | | | category is very narrow encompassing |
| card permanent residency and even more | | | | "Religious Workers" who are here to |
| subcategories under each main category. | | | | carrying out their religious mission. |
| The main green card categories include | | | | Finally, the last category is based on |
| Family Sponsored Immigration, Employment | | | | economic development and includes |
| Immigration, DV Lottery, and Asylum and | | | | individuals who invest one million |
| Refugee status. | | | | dollars ($1,000,000.00)in a new |
| Family Sponsored Immigration Green Card. | | | | "commercial enterprise" or in a |
| Foreign family members of U.S. citizens | | | | "troubled business" or those who invest |
| and permanent residents may qualify for | | | | Five Hundred Thousand Dollars |
| an immigrant visa. However, the United | | | | ($500,000.00) in a "new commercial |
| States sets strict limitations on the | | | | enterprise" or "troubled business" in a |
| number of immigrant visas allowed each | | | | "targeted employment area." |
| year. The closer the relative is the | | | | DV Lottery Green Card. 55,000 immigrant |
| higher that person falls on the priority | | | | visas each year are available to those |
| scale for obtaining an immigrant visa. | | | | winning a Visa Lottery. The number of |
| Immediate family members of U.S. | | | | lottery visas are apportioned to |
| citizens are given the highest priority. | | | | countries that have fewer visa |
| Foreign parents, children under the age | | | | applicants. To apply, an immigrant must |
| of 18, and spouses fall outside of the | | | | fill out a number of forms detailing |
| quota system and usually qualify quickly | | | | their background with the INS. Each year |
| for an immigrant visa. Extended family | | | | lottery contestants are drawn and |
| members of United States citizens and | | | | notified if they have won. A winning |
| family members of permanent residents | | | | alien may make application for an |
| may also qualify. However, the waiting | | | | immigrant visa. |
| period may be much longer. In some | | | | Refugee/Asylum Status. Refugee and |
| cases, the wait for a visa may exceed 10 | | | | Asylum status allows foreigners fearing |
| years. The priority list for family | | | | persecution to seek refugee status in |
| sponsored immigration is as follows: (1) | | | | this country. Foreigners outside of the |
| F-1 - Unmarried Sons or Daughters of | | | | United States may seek refugee status. |
| U.S. Citizens over the age of 21; (2) | | | | Foreigners already in the United States |
| F2-A -Spouses and unmarried Children of | | | | may seek asylum to prevent deportation. |
| Permanent Residents under the age of 21; | | | | After approval of Refugee or asylum |
| (3) F2-B -Unmarried Sons or Daughters of | | | | status, the alien is allowed to enter or |
| Permanent Residents over the age of 21; | | | | remain in the United States and may seek |
| (4) F-3 -Married Sons or Daughters of | | | | an adjustment of their status to one of |
| U.S. Citizens over the age of 21; (5) | | | | permanent residency after one year. |
| F-4 - Brothers and Sisters of U.S. | | | | For legal assistance Call (952) |
| Citizens. | | | | 746-2153. |