General Information For Determining Your Immigration Strategy
Immigration Visas - Permanent Visas
There are three main categories for Immigrant Visas: Family-based, Employment and all others, which we will call Specialty. Having permanent resident status means that the individual may reside and work anywhere in the US. Being a US permanent resident is not the same as being a US citizen. A permanent resident has been issued an "immigrant visa" as opposed to a nonimmigrant visa. A US permanent resident is still a citizen of another country (or, in some cases, country-less) and bears the passport of that country. Permanent residents may not vote in US elections. Otherwise, US citizens and US permanent residents generally have the same rights and responsibilities.
Family-based
There are five family-based immigrant visa categories:
- Immediate Relative of US citizen--spouse, parent, or minor son or daughter
- First preference--Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens
- Second preference--A. Spouses and minor sons and daughters of US permanent residents Second preference--B. Unmarried sons and daughters of US permanent residents, age 21 or older
- Third preference--Married sons and daughters of US citizens and their spouses and children
- Fourth preference--Brothers and sisters of US citizens, age 21 or older, and their spouses and children
- Labor Certification
- Extraordinary ability in business/arts/sciences; outstanding professors/researchers; and multinational executives/managers
- National Interest Waivers, Exceptional ability in business/arts/sciences; members of the professions holding advanced degrees
- Live-in domestic
- Investment Visa/Entrepreneurs, Employment-creation ("investor") category
- Green Card Lottery, A green card, or more correctly, an "alien registration receipt card", is a document that identifies the bearer as a permanent resident of the US.
- Religious Worker, Ministers of religion
- Refugee/Asylum/Protected Status
