How to Get a Green Card While Living Abroad
- 1). Meet one of the following eligibility requirements for a Green Card: You are the relative of a United States citizen; you are seeking political asylum in the United States, or you are a refugee; you have extraordinary skills in the arts or sciences; you are a winner of U.S. Department of State's Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery program; or you meet basic requirements as a "special immigrant," which includes, but is not limited to, your employment as a clergy in a religious organization based in the United States, or your prior employment to the United States government as a foreign worker.
- 2). Apply for U.S. permanent resident status under your qualifying condition. Some conditions may require a United States citizen to apply on your behalf. For example, if you qualify as the relative of a United States citizen, the U.S. citizen must file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
If you qualify as an individual possessing extraordinary skill in the arts or sciences and you would like to work for a United States company, the company must file the initial application on your behalf. - 3). Get an immigrant visa when one becomes available after the approval of your Green Card application by USCIS. Under U.S. Immigration law, only the immediate relatives (spouses and minor children) of United States citizens are provided with immigrant visas immediately.
Therefore, if you qualified for your Green Card under another condition, your case will remain at the National Visa Center (NVC) until an immigrant visa becomes available for you. Upon the availability of your immigrant visa, NVC sends your case to your local U.S. Embassy or consular office abroad. - 4). Attend and pass your immigrant visa interview, after fulfilling additional requirements as set forth in the packet you receive from your local U.S. embassy or consular office. Additional requirements may include, but are not limited to, the completion of a thorough immigration exam by a U.S. embassy-approved physician. Arrive in the United States as an immigrant and then receive your Green Card from USCIS within three months after your arrival.
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