21
votes
Relinquishing Green card at CA/Mexico border
There is no need to physically relinquish your green card. From Maintaining Permanent Residence:
You may also lose your permanent resident status by intentionally abandoning it. You may be found to ...
- 4,520
15
votes
Relinquishing Green card at CA/Mexico border
Are you sure that the relocation back to Europe is permanent? If not, you may be able to retain US Permanent Resident status for up to six years by applying for a re-entry permit. The permit is ...
- 251
13
votes
Accepted
How to help my mother in law migrate - no lawyer wanted!
If you're not looking to use a lawyer, I suggest you go with the suggestion to apply for a green card for your mother-in-law based on her being the parent of a U.S. citizen. The process is ...
- 1,569
13
votes
How long can I stay outside USA after having a Green Card
As an lawful permanent resident (LPR) you are expected to take up residence in the US and you are not allowed to do so in another country. You are allowed to leave the US temporarily, there is no ...
- 231
12
votes
Accepted
Is Green card priority date based on place of birth or citizenship?
The priority date is based on the place of birth of the applicant (or spouse, if they're different and the queue for one is shorter than the other). Moving/acquiring citizenship in another country ...
- 9,365
11
votes
Accepted
What can be done when a country doesn't have Birth Certificates?
The US State Department has this to say about Iraqi birth certificates:
Alternate Documents: Family Book "Qayd 57" issued by the Nationality Directorate (Mudeeriyat Al-Jenssiyah)
Comments: If ...
- 873
11
votes
Accepted
How long can I stay outside USA after having a Green Card
As someone who had gone through a similar situation, I know it can be difficult to find the correct answer. The answer given by @sitic is a very good one.
In my case, I came to the USA with the green ...
10
votes
Accepted
Can a speeding citation/conviction prevent receiving a green card?
The answer may heavily depend on the circumstances but in general a speeding ticket won't be an issue according to instructions to I-485:
NOTE: Unless a traffic insident was alcohol or drug-related,...
- 5,358
10
votes
Accepted
Is renouncing one's US citizenship approx. equally administratively complex as renouncing one's US lawful permanent resident status (green card)?
Is renouncing one's US citizenship approximately equally administratively complex as renouncing one's US lawful permanent resident status (i.e., giving up one's green card)?
Not at all. You can ...
- 19.5k
9
votes
What is the process to get American green card and citizenship while on a H1B visa?
There are many paths to both a Green Card and Citizenship, including employment based, family based (e.g. marriage) and various special interests.
Since you are in the US on an H1B, you are likely ...
- 409
9
votes
How to help my mother in law migrate - no lawyer wanted!
You certainly don't need to spend that kind of money. For US citizens, parents are pretty high on the list to get green cards. The service centers that process the I-130 forms now report 5 months. ...
- 2,602
9
votes
Relinquishing Green card at CA/Mexico border
Thanks for all your answers. I probably wasn’t as explicit as I needed in my question but now that I’ve been through it I want to share my experience.
As of this Summer you can no longer abandon LPR ...
- 191
8
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to “inherit” a green card?
It is unlikely that the fact that your parent holds a US green card will have any bearing on your application. In fact, if your parent does not currently reside in the US, their status of "permanent ...
- 4,520
8
votes
Accepted
How long can I wait to move after obtaining a green card?
Once you get your visa, it is valid for six months. Visas will only be issued during the financial year (October-September period) for which the lottery was held. Once the visa expires, if you didn't ...
- 9,365
8
votes
Accepted
Can a green card holder enter the US with a passport having less than 6 months remaining?
You do not need a passport to enter the US when you have a Green Card.
See https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident for the official text:
...
- 1,503
8
votes
Getting a Green Card by living out of interests only
No, neither having money in a bank account nor earning work income qualifies a person to immigrate to the US. You generally must be petitioned by a US citizen or permanent resident relative, or ...
- 13.3k
7
votes
What can be done when a country doesn't have Birth Certificates?
The State Department's Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents page lists what documents are acceptable from each country. For Iraq, it seems that a birth certificate from the Ministry of Health, or, ...
- 13.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Spouse of US citizen green card application: adjust status or leave and apply for visa?
Adjustment of Status will get permanent residency much faster. Since they are in the Immediate Relative category with no wait for visa numbers, I-130 petition and I-485 for Adjustment of Status can be ...
- 13.3k
7
votes
How long does it take to process a green card for a H-1B holder?
Between 1 and 15 years
It depends on number of factors:
if your employer is paying for premium processing
if your application is subject to additional auditing
your nationality
green card preference ...
- 2,258
7
votes
Accepted
Green Card for Indian spouse
You can file the petition while you are in India, but you have to intend to re-establish domicile in the US concurrently with, or before, your wife enters the US.
Yes, a standalone I-130 filed from ...
- 13.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Time between Green Card and SSN?
Based on the information in the Application for Social Security you should be able to receive one 7-14 days from the moment the application is filed.
16 Show an address where you can receive your ...
- 5,358
6
votes
Accepted
How can I get a US Greencard through the Diversity Visa Program?
The Diversity Visa Program (aka Green Card Lottery) is currently closed. When it is open you must apply online. Information can be found at the US Dept of State
Entries for the DV-2015 DV program ...
- 4,138
6
votes
Accepted
Diversity Visa Program GreenCard, should it cost?
Scammers for the Diversity Visa Program are legions. The official webpage Diversity Visa Lottery Scams from the Federal Trade Commission gives some interesting information that you might find useful:
...
- 2,087
6
votes
Diversity Visa Program GreenCard, should it cost?
None of these sites is reliable. Diversity visa sign up process is free, done through the US government website (ends with ".gov"), and is only open in October-November.
"Applying" through all these ...
- 9,365
6
votes
Accepted
Can the US still be entered after losing conditional permanent resident status?
No, she'll have to apply for a visa of course but there's no specific limitation on ex-permanent residents from visiting.
However, you should have cancelled the green card instead of ignoring the ...
- 9,365
6
votes
Accepted
Should a potential green card applicant change their name before starting the green card process?
I think you're asking the question a bit too late, since she has already changed her name in the US. The new name is right there - on the marriage certificate. Now, you need to bring all the rest of ...
- 9,365
6
votes
Accepted
For how long and when in the green card application timeline does this travel blackout period exists?
Unless you have an Advance Parole, or you have H1b/H4/L1b/L2 status, leaving the US while your Adjustment of Status (I-485) is pending will cause your Adjustment of Status to be automatically ...
- 13.3k
6
votes
Accepted
What benefit has the Diversity Immigrant Visa program? (Green Card Lottery)
To get a working visa, a prospective employee has to find a job with an employer that meets the qualifications for visa sponsorship. After some years in the working visa status, the employee may ...
- 19.5k
6
votes
Accepted
What is my legal status in between K-1 visa and Permanent Resident (USA)?
First of all, nobody you will run into in daily life will ask you "How are you legally here". Local police and other regular officials generally do not (unless maybe if you are in Arizona or one of ...
- 13.3k
6
votes
Accepted
What shall one do after receiving a green card?
Here is what I am aware of.
Actions to take ASAP:
Replace/update your SSN card. This can be done at your local social security center. See https://www.ssa.gov/
If employed: ask the employer to update ...
- 2,087
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