 Green
Cards
The nonimmigrant "letter" visas such as B, H, L, E, F
and TN all have one thing in common -- they are all temporary visas.
Sooner or later, the holder of such a visa is expected to leave the
United States. Also, these visas are all intended to permit one
particular activity: tourism, work for a specific employer, study,
or investment in a particular enterprise.
The Green Card is different. A Green Card lets a person stay in
the United States forever. A Green Card holder may work for any
employer, or attend any school. A Green Card is just short of
citizenship, but there are several important differences: a Green
Card holder can be deported for violating the law; a Green Card
holder can lose her status if she leaves the United States for a
lengthy period of time; and a Green Card holder may not be eligible
for some government benefits. By contrast, a citizen can never be
deported for any reason, and a citizen can always return to the
United States, even after an absence of many years.
The first Green Cards really were green. Today, the cards are
made of plastic with special computerized identifiers, and they are
no longer green. But the term "Green Card" has become a
permanent part of the immigration vocabulary.
Green Cards are available under a variety of circumstances,
including:
Green Card processing takes a long time. Many people want to stay
in the U.S. while they are waiting to immigrate. A new
H-1B law, called the American Competitiveness in the
Twenty-First Century Act, helps professional workers stay in the
U.S. Another new law, called the "LIFE
Act," helps many others, including spouses of U.S. citizens
and permanent residents, and people who are out of status.
Contact us to find out your best strategy for permanent
residence in the United States.
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