United States Immigration Procedures

There is a certain application process which you must follow in order to qualify for a green card or visa in the United States. In order to receive a green card, you must be deemed eligible under one of the pre-established “paths” for lawful permanent residency. You must also be approved for an immigration visa petition by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service. This form is usually filed by either a relative or your employer, who acts as a sponsor for you. Sometimes applicants are able to petition on their own behalf, such as special immigrants, investors, or priority workers.

Those who are trying to obtain a Green Card for employment must have their employer submit a labor certification request with the DLETA (Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration). You will be assigned an immigrant visa number by the State Department, despite whether or not you are already living in the country at the time. Anyone who is currently living in the U.S can apply to change their resident status to permanent.

This can only be done after a visa number is assigned to you however. When an immigration visa number becomes available to you when you are living outside of the U.S, the application process must be completed at a local US consulate. There are many different types of visas available for those who want to become residents of the United States, whether permanent or temporary. Some of the different categories of visas include “Transit”, “Treaty investors”, “Students”, “Foreign journalists”, and many more. It is important to choose the appropriate category when applying for a U.S visa so the application process will go along as quickly and smoothly as possible. There are special visas which can be assigned to those who are working temporarily in the U.S or exchange visitors. Those who wish to gain permanent residence will need to go through the necessary process listed above.