Author Archives: janachen

What is the Importance of Green Card or Lawful Permanent Resident Card?

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Every one of us wants a comfortable place to settle down and a decent job to make a living, don’t we? This is possible in the US only if you have a Green card (which is also referred to as Lawful Permanent Resident Card).If you are a foreign national belonging to any other country other than the US (immigrants) then this card becomes all the more essential.
A peek into the life history of the Green card
The usage of cards began around the Second World War period, when the Form I-551 was largely used.  At that time, they carried the name of Alien Registration card or Alien Registration Receipt. Because the color of these cards was green during the years 1946 to 1964, they were informally referred to as Green Cards. The formal term used is Legal or Lawful Permanent Resident Card. However, over the years people got used to this informal name that it is being referred to as a Green card till today.
Initially, these cards were issued by the former Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS). Today, this power is vested with the USCIS which was formed after the INS was dissolved. The permanent resident status that is granted is for the lifetime of the person, but he/she need to renew it periodically so that it is up to date and fully valid.
Why do you need a green card?
US is the most favored spot for tourists, immigrants, students etc. Tourists, students and others who are planning to stay in the US only for a temporary period will not need this card. They will have to get specific visas based on their purpose of visit only. Since US is a highly developed country, it also attracts many immigrants to move to the US and make their livelihood out there. So green card is the ticket that allows an immigrant to work and stay in the US on a permanent basis. That is why this card is always in great demand and applications are piling up to get it.
Also it serves as a very important identification document. USCIS has been repeatedly instructing to carry this card in person at all times. Failing to comply with this is considered a violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act and will result in imprisonment or penalization.
How to get a green card?
Marry a US citizen, become a permanent resident – This is the easiest and most commonly used method of getting a green card. Once they become permanent residents, they come out of the ‘so called marriage’. To prevent this misuse, USCIS began to keep track of all cases based on marriage for more than a year after the wedding. If they suspect that it was all fake, then they have the rights to revoke the issued card.
Other ways are, getting your close US citizen relatives or green card holders to sponsor for you. When you are an immediate relative of a US citizen, the wait for an immigrant visa is not long as in the case of others. You can also get your US employer to sponsor a green card for you or participate in the DV lottery program.
What next after getting it?
Apart from the fact that you need this card to live and work in the US, this card is the first step in becoming a US citizen. One of the most important eligibility criteria for submitting your citizenship application is to have been a green card holder for 5 yrs (3 yrs in case of conditional residents). You need to have a valid card at the time of applying for your citizenship. This is why you need to go in for renewal of your card once in 10 years, even though the status is for a life time. When your application is approved and you are on the last step of becoming a citizen, this card will be taken from you, as it will no longer be needed.
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We help immigrants through the complex US Immigration & USCIS application process. Apply for US Immigration Services. Those who want to process their Greencard for children, Immigration INS application simple and quick online.

janachen

Marriage Based Green Card

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US citizens and US permanent residents who are living in the United States have the ability to petition for the admittance of their spouse as a United States Permanent Resident at any time. While the length of time required to obtain an approval may vary, depending upon the circumstances surrounding each individual application, United States Green Cards are issued on the basis of Marriage which can sometimes be obtained in as little as 6 months.

There are several marriage based green card options for individuals who are already in the United States and this depends on marriage to a US citizen or marriage to a permanent resident, whether entered United States legally or illegally.

Eligibility Criteria:

In order to sponsor a spouse for a marriage based green card, the sponsors or the petitioners must be either US citizens or permanent residents. In addition to this, the sponsors must meet the following requirements.

  •  The sponsor and the immigrant must be legally married and must produce a valid marriage certificate. People who are not married will not be allowed to file this petition.
  • The sponsor must be at least 18 years of age to be able to sign the affidavit of support
  • Must provide few documents such as copy of immigrant’s passport, medical examinations and police clearances, proof of the sponsor’s citizenship, marriage certificate and if applicable must provide evidence of termination of previous marriage.

If the US citizen is living in the United States and petitions his or her spouse who is abroad, the process of obtaining a Green Card through marriage will approximately take 12 to 18 months. But if the US citizen spouse is living abroad with his or her spouse during the time of application, then a new Immigrant Visa can be secured in 16 weeks.

If the sponsor is a permanent resident of the United States, then he or she will have to be present in the United States at the time of the application. The sponsors will not be allowed to file petition while abroad. The processing time to obtain a green card through a permanent resident spouse may take a little longer when compared to that of a US citizen spouse.

The dependents of the immigrant who is under 21 years of age can be included in the green card petition only when they are provided 100% support by the immigrant spouse. The sponsor must file form I 130 to USCIS to petition for a green card for his or her spouse. Once the petition has been filed by the spouse in United States, USCIS will review the application and the supporting documents. If the petition is approved, the sponsor will receive a letter from the USCIS. The Department of State will then send a visa number to the immigrant and using the visa number the immigrant must apply for immigrant visa at the US consulate in his or her home country. If the immigrant is already in the United States in another non – immigrant visa, then he or she may file for adjustment of status to a permanent resident. Once the application is approved, the green card will be sent to the immigrant.

We help immigrants through the complex US Immigration & USCIS application process. Apply for US Immigration Services. Those who want to process their Green card for children, Immigration INS application simple and quick online.

janachen

What Is INS Immigration Services?

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The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS immigration services) was formed on June 10, 1993. It had the supreme jurisdiction over matters regarding immigration and naturalization. It was the protector of the laws of naturalization and also dealt with the illegal entry into the US.

History of the INS immigration services
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was formed in 1933 as a result of a merger of the Bureau of Naturalization and Immigration. It was first under the control of the Department of Labor but was moved to the control of the Department of Justice in 1940 by the then US president Franklin Roosevelt.

It was after the US civil war that some states of the US began passing their own immigration laws. This led to the Supreme Court ruling of 1875 which stressed that immigration was the responsibility of the federal government. In 1891 the Immigration Act was passed which paved the way for the formation of an Office of the Superintendent of Immigration within the US treasury department. It had several Immigration Inspectors who monitored the applications of all immigrants seeking entry into the US. One can very well say that this was the early stages of the INS immigration services.

The US congress, in the early 1900’s, realized that immigration was not only concerned with the revenue but also with the commerce of the country. This led to the transfer of the Bureau of Immigration to the now defunct Department of Commerce and Labor. The flow of immigrants from Europe after the World War I was high and the Immigration Act of 1924 was passed to check this problem. The INS immigration services had several predecessors before it finally took shape as the INS.

Structure of the INS

The INS immigration services were headed by a commissioner who is appointed by the US president. The INS worked alongside with the UN, US department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services. The following four divisions shared the complex duties of the INS immigration services.

  • Programs
  • Field Operations
  • Policy and Planning
  • Management

Functions of the INS immigration services

The Programs and field operations division controlled the operational functions of the INS.
Programs division –  Enforced immigration laws (arrest, Controlled, detained and deported illegal immigrants) and exams.
Field Operations division – Implemented immigration policies in its regional offices, oversaw the work of the International offices and offices in the US

The Policy and Planning and Management divisions took care of the managerial functions of the INS.
Policy and planning division –  Co-ordinated all information and maintained communication with other government agencies and the public. It had three branches – Policy, planning division and Evaluation and Research center
Management Division – Maintained the Overall mission and the goals of the INS. This was done through the administrative authority of its many offices

What is the INS today?

On March 1, 2003 the INS ceased to exist under that name and most of its functions were transferred and shared between three newly formed components of the Department of Homeland Security. USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services), ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP (US Customs and Border Protection) are the new structures designed to share the INS immigration services. This measure was the aftermath of the September 2011 terrorist attack. The US government brought in some very strict rules and regulations as a preventive measure to avoid any further terrorist assaults.

Immigration services like the permanent residence, naturalization, asylum etc. came under the responsibility of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS). But this too underwent a name change and became the USCIS.  ICE controlled the investigative and enforcement functions. CBP took care of the Border protection task.
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We help immigrants through the complex US Immigration & USCIS application process. Apply for US Immigration Services. Those who want to process their Greencard for children, Immigration INS application simple and quick online.

janachen