All Green Card applications start with the submission of a petition. The petition needs to be submitted by a US citizen or permanent resident on behalf of the alien relative they wish to bring to the United States. The petition is usually submitted to the USCIS office in the US unless the petitioner is living outside America. If this is the case, the petitioner can submit the petition at the US consulate in that foreign country.

   Once the petition is approved, the Green Card applicant can submit the application. This process is usually done in the applicant's own country and is called "Consular Processing". However, if the applicant is in the US at the time the petition is approved, then the individual can submit the application in America, a process called "Adjustment of Status".

   Most immigrant visa categories are based upon a quota system, a pre-determined number of available visas assigned to each category. Once the quota is reached, a waiting list is created. It may take anywhere from 2-20 years for applicants on a waiting list to receive a visa.   The date on which an applicant submitted the application is called the "Priority Date". Green Card applicants can estimate the wait of time of a visa by checking the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin. 

  Once an applicant's Priority Date becomes current and his or her application is approved, a notice is sent to the United States consulate in that person's country of origin. The consulate will then notify the applicant of the approval. Afterwards, the applicant must provide fingerprints, go through a consular interview, undergo a medical examination and provide documentation that shows no criminal history. If all is successful, an immigrant visa stamp will be entered into the person’s passport. The individual must enter the US within a 6 month period. A Permanent Resident Registration Card will be mailed to the applicant within a few months.

  Besides applicants who are married to a US citizen - all legal permanent residents may apply for citizenship only after five years. They must prove physical presence in the US for a minimum of 2 ½ years out of the five year period. They will also need to show competency in English, knowledge of American history and knowledge of current events.

   And what about petitioners who are married to a US citizen? I’ll write about it in my next post…