Green Card is a photo identification card given to permanent residents of US. The official name for green card is Alien Registration Receipt Card. Green card has an expiration date of ten years and can be renewed after the expiration.

Benefits	Limitations
You may stay as long as you want in US You can work anywhere in US. You can travel in and out of US as many times as you want. Your spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 are eligible for green card. You can get US citizenship.	You cannot be outside US continuously for more than one year. You must pay US taxes for all your income. You might loss your green card if you violate certain criminal or immigration laws.

Options to get Green card

1. Through Relatives
2. Employment based
3. Green Card Lotteries
4. Investment
5. Refugee and political Asylums

Getting a green card through a relative

Step - 1: Visa petition Your sponsoring relative should file immigration Form I-130 to USCIS. Complete procedure and required documents can be obtained by clicking Form I-130 . Once your I-130 has been approved a Notice of Action, Form I-797, will be sent to the petitioning relative. The date on, which the petition is filed, is your priority Date.

Immigrant visa number: If you are an immediate relative, you may proceed to step-2 as soon as your petition is approved. If you are a preference relative you cannot proceed to step - 2 until a visa number is made available for you even though you have an approved petition. Only a limited number of immigrant visas are made available every year. The availability of immigrant visa number can be checked from the Visa Bulletin of US Department of State. When you get a Immigrant Visa Number your priority date becomes "current".

Step - 2: It is a formal request for green card by you either in USCIS office in US or US consulate in your home country.

US Filing OR Adjustment of Status If you are legally present in US, you can obtain your green card without going out of US by changing your status(called Adjustment of Status) to that of a lawful permanent resident.

Forms and Documents needed

	Form I – 485, Application for permanent resident or Adjustment of status. A separate form should be filed for you and each accompanying relative.
	Notice of action showing petition approval from step-1
	Two color photos taken within 30 days
	Form G-325A, Biographic Data Sheet + $75 Biometric services fee (If you are between the ages of 14 and 79, the fee is in addition to the application fee.)
	I-693, Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status
	Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, should be completed by the sponsor.
	Form I-94, Arriva/Departure Record from your passport.
	Copy of passport page with nonimmigrant visa.
	Submit two passport-style photographs
	Birth Certificates

The instruction to fill the above applications and filing fees can be obtained by clicking the above links. The medical examination must be conducted by a civil surgeon who has been designated by USCIS. List of USCIS Authorized civil surgeon. After you have filed the above applications, the USCIS will notify the date and loacation where you should get finger prints. If required, You may be notified to appear for a personal interview at a USCIS office. If approved, your Green Card or Permenent Alien Registration Receipt Card will be mailed to you.

Consular Filing abroad If your outside US, you have to apply for immigrant visa in US consulate where you live. You have to fill the following application forms.

• Form DS-230, Part - I (Biographic Data)
• DS - 2001 Notification of Applicant Readiness The above application forms should be filled and mailed to US consulate. Once they have screened your application, you will receive date and time for Visa interview along with instructions for obtaining a medical examination. Your petitioner should submit Form I-864, Affidavit of Support to National Visa Center (NVC), 32 Rochester Avenue,Portsmouth, NH 03801 . You will be required to submit finger printing for a background check with FBI.

Documents and Forms required for interview

	Form DS-230 part II, Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registeration (Sworn Statement) You should sign it in the presence of US consul during the interview.
	Filing Fee
	4 passport size photographs
	Appointment letter
	Medical Examination Reports
	Birth Certificates
	Police Certificates
	Valid passport

Upon the conclusion of the interveiw you will be either denied or issued immigrant visa, which is valid for 6 months and you will be assigned an "A" card number which is your Permenent Alien Registration Indentification number. You should immigrate to US within 6 months. when you enter US, at the port of entry (destination airport in US), your passport will be stamped as a legal immigrant admitted to stay and work in US. Your actual Green Card will be mailed to you within few months of your arrival to US.

Employment Authorization Document (EAD): If you are in US and want to work while you are awaiting for your green card approval or Adjusting your Status, you must file I-765 and submit to USCIS office in US. You must submit copy of your filing receipts of green card, photos, Photocopy of I-94 card, filing fee of $180. Once approved, your work authorization card will be mailed to you.

Getting a green card through Employment

There are five employment preference categories of obtaining Green card through employment. They are

	EB-1, Employment First preference: Priority workers
	EB-2 Employment Second preference: Workers with advanced degrees or exceptional ability.
	EB-3, Employment Third preference:
		• Proffessional with Baccalaureate Degree • Two-Year training or experiance • General or unskilled labores
	EB-4 Employment Fourth preference : Miscellaneous special immigrants like religious workers
	EB-5 Employment Fifth preference: Investors willing to invest US $1,000,000 or more in business.

Individuals who apply under EB-1 category does not need a Labor Certification.All emplyment categories are subject to quota limitaions. There are three steps in obtaining a Green card, that are as follows

Step – 1

The employer should submit Form ETA – 750, which contains the job description and the information about the employee, to the Department of Labor (DOL). Once it is approved, the employer will get a Labor Certification, meaning the job is available to a foreign national. The date on which the employer files the Labor Certification is called Priority Date.

Step – 2

The employer should file immigration petition to the USCIS on behalf of you.

Forms and Documents needed

	Approved Labor Certification
	Documents proving your job Qualification and experience certificates from previous employers
	Revenue documents of your present employer showing that they are capable of paying your salary.
	Form I-140, Immigration petition for alien worker
	Filing fee of $190 When your petition for green card is approved, your employer will receive a notice of action, Form I–797, indicating your approval.

Step – 3

Immigrant visa number:

you cannot proceed to step - 3 until an immigrant visa number is made available for you, even though you have an approved petition. Only a limited number of immigrant visas are made available every year. The availability of immigrant visa number can be checked from the Visa Bulletin of US department of State. When you get an immigrant visa number your priority date becomes "current". Once you have an approved petition and a current priority date, you are eligible to apply for green card in US consulate abroad or in US.

US Filing or Adjustment of Status

If you are in legal status in US, you are eligible to apply for green card without going out of US. If you want to work while you are awaiting for your Green card approval, you have to apply for EAD card.

Forms and Documents needed

	Form I – 485, Application for permanent resident or to Adjust status. A separate form should be filed for you and each accompanying relative.
	Approved Notice of Action, Form I - 797
	Birth certificates
	Copy of Passport page with nonimmigrant visa
	Evidence of status (copy of I-94 from passport)
	Employment letter
	Labor certification
	Form I-134, Affidavit of support
	Form I-693, Medical Examination Certificate
	Form G-325A, Biographic Data Sheet + $75 Biometric services fee (If you are between the ages of 14 and 79, the fee is in addition to the application fee.)

The instruction to fill the above applications and filing fees can be obtained by clicking the above links. The medical examination must be conducted by a civil surgeon who has been designated by USCIS. List of USCIS Authorized civil surgeon. After you have filed the above applications, the USCIS will notify the date and loacation where you should get finger prints. If required, You may be notified to appear for a personal interview at a USCIS office. If approved, your Green Card or Permenent Alien Registration Receipt Card will be mailed to you.

Consular Filing abroad

If your outside US, you have to apply for an immigrant visa in US consulate where you live.

Forms and Documents needed

	Form I-134, Affidavit of support
	Approved Notice of Action, Form I - 797
	Copy of petition submitted in step-2
	Birth certificates
	Passports
	Police clearance
	Three Passport size photos

The USCIS will notify you when and where to get the finger prints. There is a fee of around $85 for finger print.

US Taxes for Green card holder:

Green card holders are US tax residents and must declare their income taxes to US government. Green card holders must file US tax return Form 1040 by April 15 th of every year.