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The Green Card or Permanent Resident Card is the official document that can allow you to reside and work legally and permanently in the United States, requested by many immigrants and can be requested without much requirement. However, this will depend on the individual situation of the person applying for the 'Permanent Resident Card'. This document is issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and can be processed at any time of the year. Do not miss this important information and learn about all the categories that exist so you can apply for your 'Green Card'. Not only that, you will also be able to know the process and if there is any cost to complete the corresponding procedure. Learn all the details in this article.
How to apply for a Green Card in the United States?
There are up to 8 ways to apply for a Green Card. These are done by people who come to the United States to live and work in the North American country and thus build a better future for themselves and their families. These are the ways to apply for your Resident Card:
- Through the Family
- Through Employment
- Special Immigrant
- Through Refugee or Asylum Status
- Victims of Human Trafficking and other Crimes
- Victims of Abuse
- Through Other Categories
- Through Registration
Likewise, there is a way to participate in a Green Card lottery to obtain the resident card.
How to participate in the Visa Lottery for the Green Card?
The Diversity Visa Program for Immigrants is an annual program that gives thousands of people the opportunity to participate in obtaining a US visa. Winners are randomly chosen by a computer.
Lottery winners and their immediate family members can become legal permanent residents with residence cards. They can live, work, and study in the United States, and after 5 years, they can apply for US citizenship.
The Visa Lottery only benefits 55,000 people with diversity visas available for the DV-2024 program. However, the possibility of obtaining a visa in this way is very low, as there are millions of people participating.
How much does it cost to process a Green Card?
The proposal to increase immigration fees for Green Card applications is under review since January 3, and it will take 60 days to have a resolution.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will increase the cost of fees for obtaining US citizenship and other immigration procedures. The cost to complete a Green Card application and other forms could rise to $2,225, a fee that may be impossible to pay for some low-income immigrants.
The application to obtain the Green Card will have an increase of $1,500, a fee that may be unaffordable for some individuals interested in becoming legal residents, due to the difficulty of saving money.
What is the difference between a Visa and a Green Card?
The visa to enter the United States is a document that must be presented by most foreigners who wish to travel to this country. In this way, a person from a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, which is usually placed in the traveler's passport, which is a travel document issued by their country.
Although there is a significant number of different types of visas, they are grouped into two main categories: nonimmigrant visa and immigrant visa. In the first case, it is granted to people who wish to travel to the United States temporarily; while the immigrant visa is granted to people who wish to live permanently in the country.