Green Card FAQ

What are the categories under which you can get a green card?
You can get a green card under the following categories namely: employment based, family based, adoption based, political asylum based, refugee based, and through diversity visa lottery program.

What are the different subcategories under employment based green card?
You can fit into any of the following sub-categories: extraordinary ability (EB-1), outstanding professors or researchers (EB-1), managers and executives (EB-1), exceptional ability (EB-2), advanced degree professionals (EB-2), national interest waiver (EB-2), physicians in underserved areas (EB-2), skilled professional and other workers (EB-3), Special immigrants including religious workers (EB-4), and alien investor (EB-5).

What are the sub categories under family based green card?
They are grossly classified as IR or immediate relatives and returning residents (SB).

Who are called immediate relatives?
Immediate relatives include:
· Spouses of US citizens, inclusive of recent widows and widowers
· Unmarried persons less than 21 years of age, but at least one of your parents must be a US citizen
· Parents of US citizens, provided the child must be 21 years of age
· Adopted children of US, if you adopted the child before he or she reached 16 years of age.
· Step children and step parents of US citizens provided the relationship came into effect before the child reached 18 years of age

Is there any limit for green card for immediate relatives?
No, there is no limit for the green cards issued for immediate relatives.

What are the categories for adoption based green cards?
Adoption based green cards fall into two categories. The first category allows the child to be adopted by the US citizen before the adopted child reached 16 years of age who has already resided with the adoptive parent under legal custody for two years, to immigrate to the US. This is provided in the INA or Immigration and Nationality Act 101(b) (1) (E).
The second category allows an orphan to immigrate to the US provided the orphan abides by the definition given by the US law and regulations. This is given in INA 101 (b) (1) (F).

Who is called a refugee?
A refugee is defined as a person outside of his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, and nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinions.