Immigration Visa - permanent residence permit "green card"
For many people, applying for a permanent residence permit is the most important step towards living and/or working in the US.
Immigration visas, the so-called "green cards," permit foreign citizens to live and work in the US without being limited to one specific employer. They grant aliens all rights and obligations of US citizens, with the exception of the right to vote, the right to be chosen for jury service, and the right to be elected to a government office.
There are a number of ways to obtain a green card. On these pages, we will give you an overview of all categories and the respective entry requirements. The basic categories are employment-based and family-based visas, and the green card lottery.
Please note: in case you don't directly qualify for an immigration visa, you might try checking your options for non-immigration visas.
EB-1 Visa (Priority Workers)
Persons of national interest to the US
The US are always trying to attract highly-qualified foreign workers to their own country. In order to achieve this, they established the "Priority Workers" category - this grants the best and brightest professionals on the international market to apply for a green card.
EB-2 Visa (Advanced Degrees / Exceptional Ability)
Persons with exceptional qualifications/abilities
Two groups of people may qualify for a green card in the "Second Preference" category EB-2:
- persons with advanced degrees
- persons who have exceptional abilities in business, sciences and arts
EB-3 Visa (Skilled, Professional and Other Workers)
The EB-3 category is probably one of the most popular green card categories in US immigration law. This category gives people who don't have extraordinary/exceptional skills, no advanced degrees and no executive positions in multinational companies the chance to obtain an immigration visa. More
EB-4 Visa (Special Immigrants / Religious Workers)
"Special immigrants" describes a small, heterogeneous group of people who may immigrate into the US due to political or moral reasons.
This group includes:
- foreign employees of the US government
- former employees of the Panama Canal Company
- religious workers
EB-5 Visa (Immigration Investor Program)
With the Immigration Act of 1990, the fifth employment-based immigration category was established: the Immigration Investor Program.
For the first time, investors could directly apply for a green card. More
Relatives / Spouses of US citizens
Generally, US immigration law differentiates between two categories of family-based immigration visas. More
Relatives / Spouses of green card holders
Not only US citizens, but also green card holders (permanent residents) have the right to sponsor certain relatives for family-based immigration under US law - to a very limited extent at least. More
Diversity Visa Program
The easiest way to get a green card is the green card lottery. Every year, the US government provides green cards through the Diversity Visa Program. While it does require a significant amount of luck, for many people it is the only way of realizing their dream of living in the US. More
Immigration Forms
You are looking for a special immigration form? Please make sure to send the form to the right address, as all USCIS office centers have different responsibilities. More
Our Service for your Company
You are a business customer and would like to use our service? We will give you intensive initial consultancy and will help you to fill out the forms for your spouse and children. But that is not all. Find out what else is included in our service for your company. More
Winners Online Forum
Our green card winners exchange their thoughts and ideas in our exclusive winner’s forum. Here you can find more than 30.000 contributions and useful information from winners about jobs and apartments as well as first hand experiences. You should definitely not miss this information! More
