American Green Card

American Green card is a photo identification card which has got an in-built anti-counterfeiting computer detectable code that is required to be owned and presented by every Lawful Permanent Resident who is not a natural U.S. citizen, but those who have obtained legal permission to live and work permanently in the United States of America. The card is not really green in color. It was originally green when it was issued until late in the year 1977.

American green card is officially called the United States Permanent Resident Card or Form I-551 or lawful permanent residence card and is issued by the USCIS in association with Immigration laws that govern the immigration proceedings of the Department of Homeland Security. Every green card holder is expected to carry a copy of the green card or the green card itself all the time and produce it whenever required by government authorities for valid verification for resident status.

The American green card process is not a simple task. It is a long time consuming process that can run together for 2 or 3 years for due sanctioning. Under common stances every alien beneficiary should undergo three main qualifying steps to get it. However, the length of time that these steps would swallow is dependent upon the immigrant visa number quota of the applicant nation and other employment and relationship related criteria.

The primary step in the American green card application procedure is initiated with a petition approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service with due labor certification in case of employment related forms and due sponsorship and relationship records incase of family immigration. Most qualifying relatives are immediate relatives who are spouse and minor children who are below 21 years of age or parents of children under 21 who is either a U.S. citizen or has a green card via adoption or other routes.

After due approval of the initial call petition, the following second steps are to head towards obtaining an immigrant visa number that is dependent upon the priority date of the application. Special immigrants are given immigrant visa number that are current irrespective of their nationality and quota status.

After receiving the current immigration visa number the last of the American green card requirements is to apply with the consular branch in cases of people in their parent country or by Adjustment of status with USCIS after which the green card is finally issued.