PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS
Lawful permanent resident status ("Green Card") is available to the following categories of people.
| 1. | Immediate Relatives of U.S. citizens: children (under 21), spouses, and parents of U.S. citizens. Visas are always available for this category. | ||
| 2. | Family Sponsored Immigrants: | ||
| - | First Preference: | Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. | |
| - | Second Preference: | Spouses, children, and unmarried sons and daughters of lawful permanent residents. | |
| - | Third Preference: | Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. | |
| - | Fourth Preference: | Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens. | |
| Visa availability varies according to category. | |||
| 3. | Employment Based Immigration: | ||
| - | First Preference: | Priority workers including persons of extraordinary ability; outstanding professors and researchers; multinational executives and managers. | |
| - | Second Preference: | Professionals holding advanced degrees* or aliens of exceptional ability. | |
| - | Third Preference: | Professionals, skilled and other workers*. | |
| - | Fourth Preference: | Religious and other special immigrants. | |
| - | Fifth Preference: | Employment Creation Visa for $1 million investors whose investment creates employment for 10 or more qualified persons. | |
| Visa availability varies according to category | |||
| *Labor certification is generally required for these categories | |||