Before starting the application process, there are two questions that you should answer first:
To apply for a Green Card, you must be eligible under one of the categories listed below. Once you find the category that may fit your situation, click on the link provided to get information on eligibility requirements, how to apply, and whether your family members can also apply with you.
You may be eligible to register for a Green Card if you have resided continuously in the U.S. since before Jan. 1, 1972.
The Green Card is a crucial document for an immigrant or a foreign national who seeks to live and work permanently in the United States. It provides proof of an individual’s permanent residency status in the United States. The Green card cost varies depending on the type of application, whether it is family-based, employment-based, or a special category such as refugees or asylees. However, obtaining a Green Card can be an expensive and complex process.
In this article, we’ll discuss the various costs associated with obtaining a green card.
Грин-карта США — это удостоверение постоянного жителя США. Представляет собой документ в виде пластиковой карты с фотографией владельца, его персональными данными, датой выдачи и сроком действия.
Лицо, получившее Green Card, имеет право:
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When you purchase the Green Card Renewal/Replacement Package, you will receive:
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The Diversity Visa Program, better known as the green card lottery, is a United States lottery system that grants up to 55,000 foreign nationals the ability to apply for an immigrant visa number. Most people need a petitioner to make an immigrant visa available. Either a U.S. family member or employer must file a petition that eventually gives the beneficiary the path to a green card. The green card lottery makes immigrant visas available each year to randomly selected individuals who are from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
About 20 million people enter the green card lottery each year in hopes of getting one of the 55,000 spots. To participate, applicants must come from an underrepresented country that has low rates of immigration to the United States. For individuals without an exceptional education or U.S. family members, the lottery is one of the alternative few paths for immigrating to the United States.
The 2024 green card lottery begins October 5, 2022. Here is what you need to know if you plan to apply.
Green Card Lottery Eligibility Requirements
The eligibility requirements to register for the Diversity Visa Program are minimal, and they can change slightly from year to year. Here are the 2024 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2024) requirements:
There is no minimum age to apply for the lottery, but the requirement of a high school education or work experience for each principal applicant at the time of application will typically disqualify most persons who are under age 18.
For a detailed explanation of the 2024 Diversity Program, review the DV-2024 instructions.
Applying for the Lottery
If you’re interested in applying for the green card lottery, you may submit an entry during an approximately one-month period each year. Be prepared with your digital photos. Most people can complete the digital application in well under an hour.
When to Apply
Applicants must submit entries for the DV-2024 program electronically between 12:00pm noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Wednesday, October 5, 2022, and 12:00pm noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Do not wait until the last week of the registration period to enter, as heavy demand may result in website delays. The U.S. State Department will not accept late entries or paper entries.
Apply to the lottery only one time each year. The U.S. State Department says that individuals who submit more than one entry during the registration period will be disqualified. You may be listed as the derivative applicant on another person’s entry. This is possible for married applicants. Each spouse may submit one entry if each meets the eligibility requirements. If either spouse is selected, the other is entitled to apply for a green card as a derivative dependent.
Where to Apply
Submit your electronic green card lottery entry on the official U.S. State Department website to support the Diversity Visa Program. Be wary of any other website accepting entries for the green card lottery; it could be a scam. There is no fee to submit an application.
What You’ll Need
Generally, you’ll need to provide basic information about yourself and your family. List your spouse and all children (if applicable). In fact, failure to list your eligible spouse is grounds for disqualification. Additionally, you will need to submit a digital photo for yourself and all derivative family members. The photo must be of the same quality and composition as U.S. visa photos. The photos should be taken:
Passport Requirement for Green Card Lottery
A 2021 rule put additional burdens on lottery applicants. The State Department now requires applicants have a current, unexpired passport. Additionally, the rule makes it easier for the State Department to quickly disqualify all entries that do not accurately include all information or documentation.
DV Program Cost
There is no cost to enter the Diversity Visa Program. You should not have to pay to enter. If you are being asked to pay a fee, make sure you are on the official website (dvprogram.state.gov).
If you are selected and apply for a Diversity Visa, you must pay all required visa application fees (currently $330) at the time of visa application and interview directly to the consular cashier at the U.S. embassy or consulate. For individuals who are already in the United States in another immigration status, you may be able to adjust status to permanent resident. You will pay all required adjustment of status fees (currently $1,225) directly to USCIS.
2024 Green Card Lottery Winners
The U.S. State Department randomly selects individuals by computer from among all qualified entries.
The U.S. government will not email, mail or call you if you have been selected. You must go to the Entrant Status Check to determine your selection. You must check your status using the unique confirmation number from your registration. Starting May 6, 2023, check your status:
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The United States receives more immigrants than any other country in the world. In fact, approximately 17% of the American workforce is foreign-born according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While there are multiple ways in which people may be eligible to live and work in the United States as permanent residents (green card holders), many people qualify through employment. Foreign nationals are able to obtain an employment-based green card when they have a job offer from a U.S. based employer or they can prove they have what is called “extraordinary ability” to come to the U.S. and continue developing their craft.
Many of the people who become eligible for employment-based, or EB immigrant visas, first come to the U.S. with a nonimmigrant, employment-based visa. (A nonimmigrant visa is a temporary visa.) The most common one is the H-1B, issued for workers in “specialty occupations.” These can be renewed, but employers may also opt for applying for a more permanent EB visa that opens a path to permanent residency.
Types of Work Visas
The U.S. government grants approximately 140,000 visas each fiscal year for employment-based immigrants and their families. There are five preference categories of employment-based green cards divided primarily based on the applicants’ experience, skills and abilities. Each green card type is specific to the kind of workers they admit and the preference each of these visas receive during processing.
Extraordinary ability is a rather broad term that includes three categories: multinational executives and managers, professors and researchers, and the general “extraordinary ability” general category, where applicants have to demonstrate their ability through national and international acclaim in business, the arts, science, education, or athletics. Some examples of people who could be eligible for this type of visa could include academics who’ve won important awards such as the Nobel Prize, researchers pursuing tenure in American universities, and famous artists that can prove their international recognition.
The most important aspect of this visa is that those eligible in some categories don’t need a job offer, just evidence of their outstanding ability, like winning an Oscar. Others in this category do need a job offer, for example, a professorship on a tenure track, or a manager/executive position from an American employer that has operated in the U.S. for at least a year.
One of the differences between this visa and the non-immigrant H-1B, for example, is that employers don’t need to complete the labor certification process – meaning, employers extending offers under this category are not required to prove that there aren’t others in the American job pool that could do the job.
The evidence that accompanies these applications goes more along showing that your work as a person of outstanding ability is truly outstanding and is recognizable in your field. Some examples of evidence could be publications, art exhibits, awards and recognitions from organizations in their field.
Advanced Degree Holders
The EB-2 category probably covers the largest number of people that are potentially eligible to apply for an employment-based green card. Many H-1B visa holders, who have advanced degrees or a bachelor’s degree with relevant professional experience, are eligible for the EB-2 green card. A job offer from a qualified employer is also required.
There are three different sub categories of the EB-2 visa in which you may qualify for eligibility:
The National Interest waiver has attracted more attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it’s being applied for researchers and healthcare professionals who are either developing treatments or vaccines in the United States. Even at times when employment-based visas were brought to a halt, national interest waiver applications were still considered in order to bring people that could advance treatment and vaccine efforts to the U.S. during the pandemic.
Skilled Workers, Professionals, or Other Unskilled Workers
This category includes a variety of individuals with different levels of education, skills, and professional competencies. All the categories under which an applicant would receive an EB-3 visa do require a job offer and labor certification from your employer. Your job offer also needs to be for full-time work; seasonal or temporary workers don’t qualify for this kind of visa.
Here are the three large categories under which people can receive an EB-3 visa:
Certain Special Immigrants
The employment fourth preference (EB-4) is a much different type of category and will not be covered in detail for the purposes of this overview. The U.S. government uses this category for a broad variety of special immigrants from employees of the U.S. government abroad to religious workers.
Immigrant Investors
The EB-5 is an equally unique category of employment-based green card. Immigrant investor visa categories are for capital investment by foreign investors in new commercial enterprises in the United States which provide job creation. Qualification requires a substantial, minimum capital dollar investment and job growth for U.S. citizens.
How to Start the Employment-Based Immigrant Visa Process
Unless you meet the requirements of an EB-1 immigrant visa, you’ll need an American employer to sponsor you. (EB-4 and EB-5 also have their own unique petitions.) The employer must submit Form I-140, Petition for Alien Worker, with USCIS. If you are applying for an EB-1 visa or under the National Interest Waiver, you can file on your own. As part of this process, your employer needs to prove they can pay your wages as part of your application.
PERM
However, before an employer can file Form I-140, they must make sure that no other U.S. workers can fill the position. They do this by filing a PERM application. The PERM – Program Electronic Review Management — system is the process for managing this paperwork with the American government. In short, the PERM process helps ensure that:
PERM labor certification protects U.S. workers but also protects the H-1B green card prospect from artificially lowered wages.
Visa Bulletin
Once the employer clears the PERM process and successfully files Form I-140, the beneficiary gets a “priority date.” The priority date marks your “place in line.” Employment-based green cards are subject of a numerical cap every fiscal year. In the EB category, every visa that isn’t awarded from the first two categories is rolled over to the one below. There are also per country limits. Thus, this can lead to a long wait for some individuals.
The immigrant visa (green card) is available once an priority date becomes current. To communicate which petitions are coming current, the U.S. Department of State issues a monthly visa bulletin. Once the petition becomes current, you may actually apply for the employment-based green card.
How to Read the Visa Bulletin
How to Apply for an Employment-Based Green Card
Once USCIS approves the I-140 petition and the priority date is current, you’ll be ready to apply for the green card. From here, the process for applying generally depends on your location. Applicants who are outside the United States, must use consular processing. While applicants inside the United States through a lawful entry have the option of adjusting status.
Consular Processing
If you are physically present inside the United States through a lawful entry, you can typically adjust status to your employment-based green card status.
Adjustment is a common option for individuals working in U.S. on a temporary work visa like the H-1B, L-1 or TN. You can submit the application in the U.S. and remain here while it is processing. The typical employment-based green card application package includes:
Submitting an adjustment of status package will also involve submitting several supporting documents. Filing your application without support can result in time consuming delays and costly errors. CitizenPath walks you through the application step by steps and not only points out potential errors, but provides instructions on how to fix them! Get started on your adjustment of status with CitizenPath today and pay when you’re finished. And with our money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose.
Overview of the H-1B Green Card Process
If you’re applying for adjustment of status, using an online platform that guides you through every step of the way and checks your application for errors can be the difference between a smooth process and, well, not so smooth processing. CitizenPath guarantees your forms will be accepted by USCIS or you get your money back. That way, you start and end your process in the most straightforward way possible. Get started with your Adjustment of Status application on CitizenPath.
Family Members Welcome
Those who receive an employment-based green card may generally bring their immediate family members with them. Immediate relatives cover spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age. However, those visas are considered part of the numerical cap of employment-based visas each year. So just because there is a visa number available for a prospective worker, that doesn’t mean there will be visas for all his or her family members in the same year.
If you’re adjusting status from an EB-visa and meet all requirements, a visa number is available to you immediately. Your family members can still apply for derivative permanent residency based on your application, which is considered the principal application.
Are you eligible to apply?
U.S. immigration laws provide a variety of ways for people to apply for a Green Card. The eligibility requirements may vary depending on the immigrant category you are applying under. Go to our Green Card Eligibility Categories page to see all the possible categories you can apply under and what the eligibility requirements are.
Being Sponsored for a Green Card
Most people who apply for a Green Card will need to complete at least two forms—an immigrant petition and a Green Card application (Form I-485). Someone else usually must file the petition for you (often referred to as sponsoring or petitioning for you), although you may be eligible to file for yourself in some cases. Here are the most common forms:
Other petitions include:
Refer to your eligibility category to see if you need a petition.
Иммиграция через профессию
Существует возможность стать резидентом США благодаря профессиональным навыкам.
ЕВ-2 / ЕВ-3
Предоставляет право на получение грин-карты США.
Если у вас высшее образование и вы работали по специальности, если вы нашли компанию в США, которая готова вас нанять и спонсировать на получение визы, то вы можете оформить визу специалиста ЕВ-2 / ЕВ-3, дающую право на получение грин-карты.
Виза Н-1В
Неиммиграционная виза специалиста.
Этот тип визы выдается на 3 года с возможностью продления на тот же срок.
Либо американская компания, которая приглашает вас на работу, может оформить для вас как для специалиста неиммиграционную визу Н-1В. Этот тип визы выдается на 3 года с возможностью продления на тот же срок. На время вашей работы в США по данной визе ваша семья имеет право проживать с вами.
Бизнес-иммиграция
Бизнес-иммиграция в США возможна через визы: ЕВ-1с и L-1.
Виза EB-1c
Иммиграционная виза для крупных инвесторов.
ЕВ-1с — это виза, которую оформляет международная компания для управленческого персонала (менеджеров, директоров и т.п.). Сотрудникам, проработавшим на руководящих должностях не менее 1 года, при переводе в аффилированную компанию на территории США оформляется виза ЕВ-1с. Она предусматривает возможность получения грин-карты через 8-9 месяцев после приезда и работы в американском филиале компании.
Виза L-1
Неиммиграционная виза для руководителей иностранных компаний.
Предоставляет право временного проживания на территории США.
L-1 — неиммиграционная виза для руководителей иностранных предприятий (за пределами США), которых переводят для продолжения работы в аффилированные компании на территории США. Виза предоставляет возможность иностранным руководителям и членам их семей жить и работать в США сроком до 7 лет (при условии получения всех продлений). Также с неиммиграционной визы L-1 можно перейти на иммиграционную визу EB-1c (при достижении американским филиалом определённых показателей) и получить грин-карту США.
General Application Process
The steps you must take to apply for a Green Card will vary depending on your individual situation. However, here is the general application process that most applicants will go through:
How to Reduce the Green Card Cost?
It is important to note that there are various ways to reduce the cost of obtaining a Green Card.
Applicants can request a fee waiver under certain conditions, which includes means testing’s of income relative to requested benefits, or household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines at the time of filing or financial hardship.
Иммиграционные программы для талантливых людей
Люди с особыми талантами и достижениями в различных областях науки, культуры, спорта, бизнеса, искусства могут иммигрировать в США на основании этих достижений. Для них созданы специальные программы. Это визы ЕВ-1а и О-1.
ЕВ-1А
Виза специалиста для людей с выдающимися способностями
ЕВ-1А — категория, предоставляющая грин-карту, которую получают люди, документально доказавшие свои выдающиеся способности в той или иной сфере деятельности (например, в спорте — победители или лауреаты международных соревнований, в науке — ученые с признанием в научном сообществе и рядом открытий). Кроме доказательств достижений, вам придется предоставить подтверждение намерений продолжать профессиональную деятельность, проживая на территории Соединенных Штатов. Получив одобрение по визе ЕВ-1а (что возможно в ускоренном режиме за 15 дней), вы сразу получаете грин-карту.
Виза О-1
Неиммиграционная виза для людей с выдающимися способностями.
Виза выдаётся на ограниченный срок с возможностью продления.
Виза О-1 является неиммиграционной, и получить ее могут одаренные люди, доказавшие свои достижения. Виза выдаётся на ограниченный срок, необходимый для реализации определенного проекта (до 3 лет). Для О-1 требуется предложение о работе от американского работодателя. Срок действия визы можно продлевать неограниченное количество раз.
Как получить удостоверение постоянного резидента
Существует несколько вариантов, при помощи которых вы можете получить американскую грин-карту:
Диверсификационная лотерея (Diversity Immigrant Visa) — розыгрыш, который с 1995 г. ежегодно проводится Государственным департаментом США. Регулярно разыгрывается около 55 тысяч виз. Каждая страна-участник программы получает определенное число виз для розыгрыша. Иммиграционный адвокат поможет правильно оформить заявку на грин-карту и, в случае выигрыша, подготовить пакет необходимых документов.
Are you inside or outside the United States?
If you are eligible to apply for a Green Card, you then need to determine which process to use – adjustment of status or consular processing.
Виза ЕВ-5 дает возможность получить грин-карту для инвестора и его семьи через 5 лет после инвестирования от $900.000 в собственный бизнес или проект Регионального центра. Для оформления ЕВ-5 не требуется опыт работы и наличие бизнеса в своей стране.
Если вы открываете собственный бизнес, то получить вид на жительство можно при условии, что средства, которые вы инвестируете, получены законным путем, а в вашей компании будут трудоустроены минимум 10 человек.
Инвестирование в проекты Региональных центров не требует личного и ежедневного участия в управлении бизнесом, обязанность по созданию и содержанию 10 сотрудников также берёт на себя Региональный центр. Возврат инвестиций происходит в среднем через 6 лет после инвестирования в проект. Профессиональную консультацию и юридическое сопровождение на всех этапах подготовки и оформления визы можно получить у специалистов AmLaw Group.
Виза Е-2 — неиммиграционная виза инвестора. Ее могут получить граждане тех стран, у которых имеется с Соединёнными Штатами соглашение по E-2. Сумма инвестиций нигде не прописана, но согласно нашей практике она должна быть не менее $100.000. Инвестировать можно как в новую компанию, так и в уже существующий бизнес. Виза имеет неограниченное количество продлений, единственным требованием для получения которых является то, что компания заявителя должна вести активную коммерческую деятельность и приносить прибыль. Получить Green Card можно будет через переход на визу EB-5.
Виза EB-5
The cost of applying for a Green Card varies depending on several factors, such as the applicant’s immigration status, age, location, and the type of Green Card they are seeking.
See Also: The Complete Requirements Needed to Apply for a Green Card.
To obtain a family-based Green Card, an applicant living in the United States is required to pay a government filing fee of $1760, while an applicant living outside the United States is charged $1200.
For those seeking a green card through employment sponsorship, the cost can be quite substantial. The employer is responsible for filing the initial application and paying the filing fee, which can range from $700 to $1,500 depending on the type of green card being sought. The employer may also need to pay for the cost of labor certification, which can cost up to $7,000.
In addition to the employer’s costs, the employee may also need to pay for the cost of legal representation. The legal fees associated with obtaining a green card can vary depending on the complexity of the case, but they can easily range from $5,000 to $15,000 or more.
It is important to note that this fee does not cover the cost of a medical examination, which is typically required and varies depending on the provider. The cost is higher if the beneficiary is a parent or sibling of the sponsor.
Apart from the above fee details,
What are Other Costs Associated with Green Cards?
If your medical examination requires you to update your vaccinations, you may have to do so before receiving the completed medical examination report. The cost of vaccinations will depend on the provider and is separate from the medical exam fees.
Translation Services Fees
If you use any documents in other language (except English) in your green card application package, you must translate that particular document to English. To do this you must pay a range between $20 and $40 for translator.
Document Fees
To apply for a Green Card, you need to provide digital copies of your passport, marriage certificate, and birth certificate. It is also required to bring the original copies of these documents with you when attending the Green Card interview, regardless of whether you submitted your application in the United States or abroad. You need to pay for these documents as a charge for the government agencies.
Professional Photography Fees
You need submit two recent 2-inch-by-2-inch photographs, if the government ask to submit to verify your identity. If you use professional photography you need to pay for their service.
Travel Expenses
You may need to travel to different locations to attend the biometrics appointment, taking medical examination, to attend the green card interview. For these kind of travel you need to spend your money. This will not reimburse from government side.
Shipping Costs
You need to mail your green card application packages, supporting documents if required by USCIS. For this postage and mailing you have to pay the fee by your own.
Attorney Fees
Основанием для получения политического убежища или статуса беженца считается прямая угроза для вас и вашей семьи по причинам:
Политическое убежище предоставляется гражданам, которые легально прибыли на территорию США и не позднее 1 года подали прошение в иммиграционную Службу. После того, как вы отправите необходимые документы, доказывающие, что в вашей стране вам угрожает опасность, вы будете находиться в ожидании интервью, на котором будет решаться вопрос вашего дальнейшего пребывания в стране. Срок ожидания данного интервью может быть до 10 лет, что подходит далеко не всем, ведь обычно это означает не только неопределённость будущего (после интервью вам могут отказать в грин-карте), но и необходимость весь этот длительный срок находиться в США безвыездно (выехать вы, конечно, сможете, но нет никакой гарантии, что сможете без проблем вернуться в США).
Чтобы получить статус беженца находясь за пределами Америки, следует обратиться в посольство США. После одобрения вашей заявки вам будет оказана помощь при переезде по программе «Переселение беженцев».
Описанные способы являются самыми распространенными для получения Green Card и гражданства.
Чтобы избежать ошибок в оформлении документов на получение визы любого типа, советуем обратиться к профессионалам, которые помогут правильно собрать и составить необходимые материалы. Адвокаты компании AmLaw Group предлагают полный спектр юридических услуг в иммиграционных вопросах.
Иммиграция через семью
Такой способ применяется в 2 случаях:
Переехать в Соединенные Штаты, используя второй вариант, довольно сложно, и процесс может занять 10 лет или более.
Брак с гражданином США
Свидетельство о браке с лицом, имеющим гражданство США, является документом, на основании которого вы можете оформить грин-карту. После рассмотрения вашей заявки вы получите временную карту на 2 года. Если по истечении этого срока брак не распадется, вы докажете, что действительно живете семьей, вам будет выдана постоянная грин-карта. Это делается для того, чтобы исключить вариант фиктивного брака, который является в США нелегальным.
How to Pay the Green Card Fees?
If your USPS tracking information shows your package was delivered but you have not received it, contact your local post office immediately. Remember, we will mail your card or travel document to the address you provided on your application (unless you told us to mail it your representative on Form G-28, Notice of Entry or Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative).
If your mailing address changes after you file your application, you must update your address with USCIS and USPS as soon as possible. We recommend you use the USPS Look Up a ZIP Code tool to ensure that you give USCIS your full address using the standard abbreviations and formatting recognized by USPS.
If you don’t update your address promptly, your case could be delayed, your document(s) could get lost, and you may need to reapply and pay the fee again.
Conclusion
Obtaining a green card is a significant step towards achieving permanent residency in the United States, but it is also a process that can be quite costly. Sometimes USCIS will increase fees irrespective of all forms. Don’t delay in applying for Green Card to stay and work in the United States.