Columbia Green Card Attorneys

A Green Card can provide significant protections to a non-citizen of the United States, which can reduce much of the stress and uncertainty that comes with immigration. There are multiple pathways to lawful permanent residency in the U.S., and the right approach depends on the particulars of your situation.

At Immigration Legal Advisors, PLLC, our Columbia, MD Green Card lawyers can help you understand your rights and guide you through the process of applying for permanent residency one step at a time. We have over a decade of experience in immigration law, giving us a clear perspective on how to approach these kinds of cases.

What Is a Green Card?

A Green Card is the document that proves a person is a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Permanent residents can live and work in the country on an indefinite basis. They can travel abroad and return, as long as they do not abandon their residence.

Holding a Green Card also opens the path to citizenship. Most permanent residents may apply to naturalize after five years, or after three years if married to a U.S. citizen. Most cards must be renewed every 10 years, although conditional residents receive two-year cards and must file to remove those conditions.

Obtaining a Green Card Through Your Employer

Employment-based Green Cards allow foreign workers to become permanent residents through a job offer or special skills. Federal law divides these visas into preference categories. The first category covers people with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational executives. The second covers professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability. The third covers skilled workers, professionals, and some other workers.

Most second- and third-category cases start with a labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor. This step requires the employer to show that no qualified U.S. worker is available for the position. The employer then files Form I-140 with USCIS. Some applicants can skip labor certification, including those who qualify for a national interest waiver.

Obtaining a Green Card Through Family

Family-based Green Cards allow many foreign nationals to become permanent residents through a close relative. The spouse, child, parent, or sibling of a U.S. citizen may qualify, as well as the spouse or unmarried child of a current permanent resident.

The path forward depends on where the relative lives. A relative already in the United States may be able to adjust status without leaving. This usually requires a lawful entry and, in most categories, continued lawful status. A relative living abroad goes through consular processing instead. The case moves to the National Visa Center and ends with an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

Marriage-based cases have an added step. A couple married less than two years when the Green Card is approved receives conditional residence. The couple must then file jointly to remove conditions before the card expires.

Can You Sponsor a Relative for Lawful Permanent Residency?

Sponsoring a relative for lawful permanent residency is possible for U.S. citizens and Green Card holders, but the rules differ. Citizens can petition for spouses, children, and parents, as well as brothers and sisters. A citizen must be at least 21 years old to sponsor a parent or sibling. Permanent residents can sponsor only a spouse or unmarried children.

The sponsor begins by filing Form I-130 with proof of the family relationship. The sponsor must also sign an Affidavit of Support. This is a binding promise to financially support the relative. In most cases, the sponsor must earn at least 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the household size. A joint sponsor can help when income falls short.

Other Ways to Get a Green Card in the U.S.

There are other pathways to permanent residency in the United States aside from family- or employment-based petitions. Asylees and refugees may apply after one year in the United States. The Diversity Visa Program awards a limited number of Green Cards each year through a random lottery.

Humanitarian programs offer additional paths. Victims of certain crimes who help law enforcement may qualify through a U visa. Spouses, children, and parents abused by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative can self-petition under the Violence Against Women Act. Certain children who were abused, neglected, or abandoned may qualify for Special Immigrant Juvenile status.

Contact Our Columbia, MD Green Card Lawyers

A Green Card can affect where a family lives, how a person works, and what the future holds. At Immigration Legal Advisors, PLLC, we guide Columbia families, workers, and employers through each stage of the process. Call 571-441-2233 or contact our Columbia, MD Green Card attorneys to set up a consultation.