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Immigrant Visa Options
A person granted permanent residency ("green card status") is permitted to
reside and work in the U.S. Depending on their classification an immigrant may be eligible
to file for U.S. citizenship either three years or five years from date of acquiring
permanent residency (providing they are not otherwise deemed ineligible).
There are four main categories under which it is possible to acquire permanent residency status in the U.S. The easiest and quickest way, is through a family relationship where the petitioner is either a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The other categories involve employment sponsorship, diversity immigrants and refugees and asylees.
Employment Based Immigration
To obtain an employment based immigrant visa, there is usually a requirement that an
applicant applies and obtains labor certification. This process, designed to ensure no
qualified U.S. workers exist for the position, is often difficult and can take several
years to complete (depending on jurisdiction). It is therefore desirable to apply under an
alternative category, which lacks this labor certification requirement.
First Preference Priority Workers Multinational Executives and Managers Second, Third and Forth Preference Cancellation of Removal (Previously called Suspension of Deportation) Diversity Visas ("Green Card Lottery") Conclusion Several immigrant visa options are available to qualifying applicants. Since certain family based categories have lengthy waiting periods, it may be advisable to proceed with certain employment based options which can be processed fairly quickly. To assist you in your decision making process, please contact me at (310) 207-0800.
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