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The process of becoming a naturalized US citizen starts with an N-400 application being filed. You are expected to submit the relevant documents along with the N-400 form, which may vary depending on the individual circumstances. Upon submitting all the paperwork, USCIS will send you a letter of appointment to have your biometrics taken.

USCIS will arrange an interview after the biometrics appointment where you will need to answer questions about your application and history, as well as take the English and Civics exam. By law, you are allowed to have an attorney present during your interview.

The initial prerequisite for all applicants to naturalize as a citizen of the United States is to be a Permanent Resident (i.e. have a Green Card). You’ll need to have been a permanent resident for at least three to five years prior to applying for citizenship, depending on your case.

Additionally, when you file your naturalization application you must be at least 18 years old; be able to speak , read and write basic English; and be a person of good moral character. Many exceptions exist to many of the criteria and it’s important to check with an attorney to see whether you qualify for exemptions from criteria.

As a Green Card holder, before qualifying for citizenship, you would need to have lived permanently in the United States for a period of at least three to five years (depending on the path to becoming a permanent resident).

To gain U.S. citizenship, Green Card holders may need to apply for naturalization through USCIS after the time period has been met. An experienced immigration attorney can assist during this process.

Only US Citizens can apply to get your parents a Green Card. Green Card holders are prohibited from petitioning their parents for green cards. You’ll need to be over 21 and a U.S. resident to petition your parents for permanent residence in the United States. Depending on personal and family factors the process of sponsoring your parents to receive Green Cards will vary. An experienced attorney will help insure that you prevent costly mistakes and/or omissions on the application as well as during the process that might jeopardize your parents’ opportunity to earn Green Cards. There are no quota requirements for a Green Card of this kind.

You can gain permanent greencard by marrying a U.S. Citizen. Even after marriage to a U.S. Citizen, a Green Card petition procedure can still be a lengthy, complex undertaking involving extensive documentation and paperwork. You will also get a Green Card by marrying a current Green Card holder.

However, the petition may be put in a restricted category of annual quotas, and it may take several years to obtain the Green Card before you are permitted to enter the United States on an immigrant visa if the visa numbers retrogress as it has in the past. It is important to note that marriage to a U.S. Citizen or holder of a Green Card does not automatically confer Green Card status to you. Talking to an experienced immigration lawyer is a perfect way to discuss all the options to get a Green Card.

A holder of a Green Card can both sponsor his / her spouse and any unmarried children. Depending upon visa availability, any family relationship that a Green Card holder is permitted to sponsor, may have to wait several years before being granted entry into the USA. It is necessary to remember that holders of the Green Card are barred from petitioning their parents for green cards. Non-resident family members of Green Card holders are put in a quota-limited group distinct from immediate relative applications for immediate family being petitioned by U.S. Citizens.

An experienced Immigration attorney will help you find legal ways to get your family members into this country as soon as possible.

One of the most complicated processes in immigration law is going from an H-1B visa to a Green Card. There are plenty of steps you and your employer need to take to make the move. This is important that you retain legal immigration status during the Green Card application process, which can be lengthy. In some conditions, when your Green Card application is being processed, you may seek an extension of your H-1B status within one year intervals after the initial 6 years have lapsed. H-1B extension processing period typically is around 2 – 12 months but USCIS provides no guarantees of period at all unless the application is filed by premium processing.

Consulting with an experienced attorney to ensure adequate and prompt compliance while staying in line with legal immigration is essential to an obtaining permanent resident status.

An I-601 Request for Waiver of Reasons of Inadmissibility allows a non-citizen alien to immigrate to the United States, change their status to permanent residency or request entry to the United States in a non-immigrant position where certain grounds of inadmissibility, conditions or actions preclude them from being otherwise admissible. The I-601 rule extends to those aliens who, based on certain grounds of inadmissibility, have been found to be ineligible for entry into the United States.

To qualify for an L1 visa, the employee, who can include business owners, must have worked outside the US for at least one year out of the last three years for a subsidiary, parent, affiliate or branch office of the US organization. One of the benefits of the L1 visa is there’s no quota.

An L1A or L1B Visa will be given to international workers eligible for L1 visas. The L1A visa is for executives and administrators. The L1B visa is for specialized-knowledge professionals.

EB-2 is a category of immigrant visa preferences for permanent residency dependent on jobs in the United States, established by the 1990 Immigration Act. The category includes “members of professions with or equal to advanced degrees” and “individuals who, because of their exceptional skill in science , arts or company, may gain significantly in the future the national economy, cultural or educational interests or welfare of the United States and whose services are pursued in the fields of science, arts, professions or company. Applicants (except applicants applying for an exemption known as National Interest Waiver) usually need to have an approved labor certification, prior to their employer filing an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Form I-140) with USCIS.

EB1-1 is open to foreign nationals demonstrating outstanding talent in their area, be it science, music, education , business or athletics. Extraordinary talent is usually shown by having “sustained national or international recognition”

The EB3 Visa is a US Visa / Green Card for “Skilled, Professional, or Other Workers” permanent residency.

Certification of the PERM or also known as labor certification. Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) is the method used to gain labor certification and is the first step in securing an employment immigrant visa (Green Card) for certain foreign nationals. It is also recognised as the Certificate for PERM work.

A Green Card (permanent resident) holder is someone who has been granted permission to live and work indefinitely in the United States. As confirmation of that status, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers a permanent resident visa, widely known as the “green card,” to a individual.

Most other visas have a limited lifespan. The H-1B lets you stay for six years, the L-1 for five to seven years and the J-1 for an average of five years. By comparison, the O-1 provides an initial three-year duration of stay, but allows unlimited extensions. Essentially, as long as you are under O-1 status and meet the conditions for an O-1 extension, you can live and work in the US. However, these extensions are given in increments of one year, and are not guaranteed.

The category O2 non-immigrant visa exists for aliens who are temporarily seeking to enter the United States and operate by supporting and assisting an exceptional O1 alien ‘s artistic or athletic performance.

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