Ilona Bray - How to Get a Green Card

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15th Edition

How to Get a Green Card

Ilona Bray, J.D.

FIFTEENTH EDITION JULY 2022

Editor ILONA BRAY

Cover Design SUSAN PUTNEY

Book Design SUSAN PUTNEY

Proofreading JOCELYN TRUITT

Index NOTA BENE INDEXING

Printing SHERIDAN

ISSN: 2371-9885 (print)

ISSN: 2371-9915 (online)

ISBN: 978-1-4133-2957-5 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-4133-2958-2 (ebook)

This book covers only United States law, unless it specifically states otherwise.

Copyright 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, and 2005 by Loida N. Lewis and Len Madlansacay. Copyright 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 by Nolo. All rights reserved. The NOLO trademark is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Printed in the U.S.A.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission. Reproduction prohibitions do not apply to the forms contained in this product when reproduced for personal use. For information on bulk purchases or corporate premium sales, please contact tradecs@nolo.com.

Please note

Accurate, plain-English legal information can help you solve many of your own legal problems. But this text is not a substitute for personalized advice from a knowledgeable lawyer. If you want the help of a trained professionaland well always point out situations in which we think thats a good ideaconsult an attorney licensed to practice in your state.

The original authors of this book were Loida Nicolas Lewis and Len Madlansacay. Nolo thanks them for their efforts in producing a work of such ambitious scope, and one that has endured for many years.

Of course, massive and constant changes in immigration laws and practices have necessitated many rewrites and revisions of the original book.

For this edition, we owe tremendous debts of thanks to a number of highly skilled attorneys who offered their expertise in various areas of immigration law. Most recently, these include Kyle A. Knapp, an Ohio-based immigration attorney, attorney Taylor Jameson, of Legal Services of Eastern Michigan, and Catherine Seitz, attorney and Legal Director of Immigration Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA).

Ilona Bray came to the practice of immigration law through her long interest in international human rights issues. Before joining Nolo as legal editor in charge of immigration, she ran a solo law practice and held positions at nonprofit immigration agencies including the International Institute of the East Bay (Oakland) and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (Seattle). Ms. Bray was also an intern in the legal office at Amnesty Internationals International Secretariat in London. She received her Bachelors degree in philosophy from Bryn Mawr College, and her law degree and a Masters degree in East Asian (Chinese) Studies from the University of Washington. Ms. Bray is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She has authored other books for Nolo, including Fianc & Marriage Visas: A Couples Guide to U.S. Immigration and Becoming a U.S. Citizen: A Guide to the Law, Exam & Interview.

Are you a foreign-born person whos interested in making your home in the United States? If so, this book might be just the ticket to finding out whether youre eligible for permanent U.S. residence, also known as a green card. A green card gives you the right to live and work in the United States your whole life, travel in and out of the country without too much hassle, sponsor certain family members to join you, and, if all goes well for a few years, apply for U.S. citizenship.

This book will help you learn the application procedures, fill out the various forms, and pick up tips for dealing with often-difficult government officials. We try to give you a realistic view of your immigration possibilities and guide you along the pathwhich could be a long oneto reaching your goals. And unlike many government publications, well warn you about what could go wrong, and what steps to take to avoid delays and problems. Immigrants to the United States have to face a huge and often unfriendly government bureaucracy. Often, its not the law itself that gives immigrants problems, but dealing with government delays, mistakes, and inattention. So, it helps to have a friend like this book by your side.