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I'm an Italian who has been living in UK for more than one year now, in some year (I don't know how many) I hope i will manage how to find a job in the states (since it is my "ultimate dream"). I heard that the green card is necessary to work there.

My question is:

How to get this green card? How much does it cost? Any other useful information would be helpful.

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    I could have sworn this question had been asked here before, but I can't find it. A good place to start learning about green cards is from the USCIS.
    – Dan Getz
    Jan 22, 2016 at 13:43
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    Try for a Diversity Visa, or find a company to sponsor you for an H-1B. Both are lotteries. The DV will get you a green card, while the H-1B makes you eligible to apply for a green card (permanent residency) after several years.
    – mkennedy
    Jan 22, 2016 at 20:25
  • It should be noted that the green card denotes permanent residence, which is not the only way for a foreigner to work legally in the United States. There are many more or less temporary options. When you say "find a job" do you mean a seasonal job or longer-term employment? Would you want to move to the US permanently or just for a few years?
    – phoog
    Jan 25, 2016 at 6:45
  • I would like to move there permanently. So i guess i need a permanent job there, however i don't know exactly how it works there for foreigners to find a job. But since I'm not an american i suppose it's not that easy to find a permanent job there. So i was wondering what could i do to make my life easier.
    – user8469759
    Jan 25, 2016 at 10:00
  • FYI As a French PhD student in the US, what can I do to get the US citizenship as quickly as possible?
    – Franck Dernoncourt
    Oct 18, 2017 at 3:43

1 Answer 1

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1) Marry an American.

2) Have your child marry an American and then apply for you.

3) Diversity lottery. This is quite a longshot.

4) H1-B work visa assuming you are in a field in demand. You might be able to convert that to a green card. Again, a lottery but with much better odds.

There are also investor visas but they're for people funding a business, not for employees. The amount you must invest is beyond the means of the average person.

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  • I thought it coulb be possible buy one of those... I guess i was wrong
    – user8469759
    Jan 22, 2016 at 22:54
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    @lukkio The investor visa is basically bought except you invest the money rather than give it to the government. Given the $500k pricetag it's obviously not applicable to you.
    – Loren Pechtel
    Jan 22, 2016 at 22:56
  • The child has to be over 21 to apply for you, so this route can be very time consuming.
    – phoog
    Jan 23, 2016 at 2:56
  • @phoog Not really because they'll need to be 18 to marry the American in the first place and it takes a while before they can apply for their parents. I doubt the age 21 limit ever comes into play in such a situation. The only way I can see it being meaningful is A+B have C. They split, B marries D (American) while C is a minor. When C turns 21 they can apply for A.
    – Loren Pechtel
    Jan 23, 2016 at 19:17
  • I don't have any child. So pay was a kind of my first option.
    – user8469759
    Jan 23, 2016 at 19:36

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