The Green Card of US from Bangladesh
The timeline, cost, and types of green cards for U.S. permanent residence
What is a green card?
A green card, also known as a Permanent residence Card, is a document issued by the United States government that confers its holder permanent residence status. This status lets the individual to reside and work in the United States indefinitely and provides a path to citizenship after a set amount of time (usually 3-5 years).
For FY2024, around 34.7 million people have filed for green cards. In 1996, only approximately ten million people filed for green cards. The United States government has stated that it will approve approximately 1.1 million green card applications this year, which means that three out of every hundred applicants will be approved. Everyone else will have to wait or not be accepted. Source: CATO Institute.
The Green Card Application
The green card application process varies depending on whether you apply from within or outside the United States. There are two major green card application forms:
Green Card application (from within the United States): Form I-485 (Application to Adjust Status). This form is used by people who are already in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa, have been selected for a diversity visa, or are eligible due to family or employment.
Form DS-260 (Immigrant Visa Electronic Application) is used for green card applications from outside the United States. This form is used by anyone applying for an immigrant visa from another country, whether through family, employer sponsorship, or the diversity visa program.
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Green Card Timeline
The processing period for a permanent resident card might range from a few months to many years, depending on the type of green card and where you apply. More specific estimations are given below.
Apply from within the United States.
The current wait time for spouses and immediate relatives (parents and minor children) of US citizens seeking for adjustment of status from within the US is 10-23 months. Spouses of US green card holders, other relatives of US residents, and employment-based green cards may face substantially lengthier wait times, generally two years or more.
Applying from outside the United States.
The current wait time for spouses and immediate relatives (parents and minor children) of US citizens applying from outside the US through consular processing is 13.5-15 months. All other green card categories are subject to nation caps, and wait durations range greatly.
Spouses of US green card holders applying from outside the US are now waiting months.
Green card costs:
The government filing fee for a family-based green card is $3005 for applicants from within the United States and $1340 for applicants from outside the United States. This does not include the cost of the medical exam, which varies depending on provider. Find out how much a family-based green card costs.
For other green card categories, consult the USCIS website to determine the cost of your specific form.
Proposed Green Card Cost Increase:
If a proposal by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is accepted, federal filing fees for a green card might rise dramatically by early 2024. Earlier this year, the department revealed intentions to increase application fees for most visa categories, including forms I-130 and I-485. In addition, those who change their status to a marriage green card will be required to pay costs on those applications. Overall, the cost of the Adjustment of Status process (including work and travel) may climb by 90% in the coming months, while the spousal visa process will be less affected. The suggested fees have not yet taken effect.
Check out our USCIS pricing guide for a comprehensive overview of the anticipated costs, as well as updates on the government’s proposal.
To avoid paying the proposed fees, submit your application before the rule goes into effect. Find out what FaraTaran can do to assist.
Types of Green Cards
There are several types of green cards. The most prevalent varieties include:
- Family-based Green Card
- Employment-based Green Card
- Humanitarian Green Cards
- Diversity Lottery Long-Term Resident Green Card
- Other Green Cards.
- How to Get a Green Card
The application process for a green card varies according on the kind. Each of these topics is discussed in full below, beginning with how to obtain a family-based green card.
Obtaining a family-based green card
Close relatives of US citizens and current green card holders are eligible to apply for their own family-based green cards. Eligible family members include spouses, children, parents, and siblings.
This group also includes widows and widowers who were married to a US citizen at the time of death. Widows and widowers, like spouses of living U.S. citizens and existing green card holders seeking a marriage-based green card, must demonstrate that their marriage was genuine in order to acquire a green card.
Many extended family members, including cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, do not qualify. They can only apply for a permanent residence card if they have a close family who is a US citizen or current green card holder (or if they meet the requirements for one of the other types of green cards listed below).
FaraTaran can help you avoid common errors in the immigration process by providing unlimited support from our staff of immigration specialists. Learn more.
Obtaining an Employment-Based Green Card
Multiple subcategories of workers can apply for permanent residency under the employment-based green card category. In some situations, spouses and children may also be eligible for a green card.
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Types of employment-based green cards
The following table lists the employment-based subcategories and the types of jobs that fall under them.
| Category | Jobs included |
|---|---|
| Priority workers (EB-1) | Positions in the arts, sciences, education, business, and athletics that require extraordinary* abilityOutstanding professors and researchersMultinational managers and executives |
| Professionals with advanced degrees and exceptional abilities (EB-2) | Positions requiring at least a master’s degreePositions requiring at least a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree, plus at least five years’ relevant experiencePositions in the sciences, arts, or business requiring exceptional* abilityPositions of national interest |
| Physicians (EB-2 with a special waiver) | Physicians who agree to work full-time in underserved areas for a specific period and meet other eligibility criteria |
| Skilled, unskilled, and professional workers (EB-3) | Skilled positions that require a minimum of two years’ training or experience that is not temporary or seasonalUnskilled positions that require less than two years’ training or experience that is not temporary or seasonalProfessional positions that require at least a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree from a U.S. university or college or the equivalent of this degree from a non-U.S. school |
| Special workers (EB-4) | Media professionalsReligious workers and ministersAfghanistan and Iraq nationals who have served the U.S. government under certain capacitiesCertain other employees, retirees, and their family members |
| Investors (EB-5) | Non-U.S. nationals who have invested or are investing at least $1 million (or $500,000 in a high-unemployment or rural area) in a new U.S. business that will create full-time positions for at least 10 workers |
*Extraordinary ability is proved “by sustained national or international acclaim.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recommends thorough paperwork to recognize achievements in your industry.*Exceptional ability is defined as “a degree of expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered” in your field.
Getting a humanitarian green card:
For migrants and asylum seekers.
People who fear or have experienced persecution in their home country due to their race, religion, nationality, political beliefs, or membership in a specific social group can seek refuge in the United States by applying for a visa from abroad (to enter as refugees) or from within the country (to remain as asylees).
They can apply for a permanent residence card after physically living in the United States for at least one year after being granted refugee or asylum status. Children and spouses (and, in some situations, extended family members) of refugees and asylum seekers can also seek protection in the United States under these programs and eventually apply for a green card.
For human trafficking victims
Victims of human trafficking who are living in the United States, whether legally or illegally (i.e., “undocumented”), may petition for a T visa to stay for up to four years. However, as a requirement of the T visa, they are required to assist in the investigation and prosecution of people traffickers.
To qualify for a permanent resident card, the applicant must have physically lived in the United States for one of the periods listed below, whichever is shorter:
- Three years since obtaining a T visa.
- The duration of an investigation or prosecution for human trafficking
- They must also fulfill other eligibility requirements. These include, for example, establishing “good moral character” (i.e., not committing certain crimes, such as fraud, prostitution, or murder) from the moment they acquire a T visa until they are authorized for a green card. Another example is that they must demonstrate to the US government that if they are forced to leave the country, they will face tremendous hardship and grave injury. (USCIS gives a complete list of eligibility criteria.)
Certain family members will also be entitled to apply for their own green cards, as long as both they and the victim meet all standards.
For Crime Victims
Victims of “substantial physical or mental abuse” who are living in the United States, whether legally or illegally (i.e., “undocumented”), can seek protection by applying for a U visa. The victim’s application for a U visa must be certified by a law enforcement agency. An application for a U visa, like recipients of T visas (see above), must agree to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those who commit specific crimes such as kidnapping, sexual assault, and torture.
To qualify for a green card, however, the applicant must meet other eligibility conditions, including the following examples:
They must have physically lived in the United States for at least three years after acquiring their U visa.
They must have not left the United States between the time they applied for a green card and when USCIS approved (or denied) their application.
They must not have refused to assist in the investigation or prosecution of specific offenses from the time they were granted a U visa until USCIS approves (or denies) their green card application.
The victim’s children, parents, siblings, and spouse will be able to apply for their own green cards as long as both they and the victim meet all requirements.
For abuse victims.
Victims of domestic violence (battery or extreme cruelty) can apply for a green card, which will allow them to seek remedy under the Violence Against Women Act. Although this law was established to help women, it applies to both men and women, as well as parents and children who have been abused.
- An abuse victim may apply for a permanent resident card on their own—without the knowledge or approval of their abusive family, which can include:
- A current or former spouse who is a US citizen or green card holder.
A parent who holds a green card or is a citizen of the United States
A youngster who is a US citizen.
To ensure the victim’s safety, USCIS will not notify the abusive relative of the application. (The full eligibility requirements are published on the USCIS website.)
Important:
If you or someone you know is currently experiencing domestic abuse, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline immediately at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). You’ll be able to speak with someone about accessible services like shelters, mental health care, and legal representation. The hotline also offers information on green cards through VAWA.
Diversity Lottery Green Cards
Every year, the United States government selects up to 50,000 people at random from a pool of entrants from six geographic regions, including Africa, Asia, and Oceania, through the “green card lottery” (formally called as the “Diversity Visa Lottery Program”). Only those from countries with a history of low immigration to the United States, such as Algeria, Lebanon, and Slovakia, are eligible to enter the lottery. The percentage of green cards given to any one country is limited to 7%.
Most lottery applicants are in their home countries when they submit their entries, but some already live in the United States under a different form of immigration status.
Getting a long-term resident green card
Individuals who have physically lived in the United States since January 1, 1972, either legally or illegally (i.e., “undocumented”), may apply for a permanent residence card through a specific process known as “registry.”
To apply for a green card through the registry, the individual must complete all of the following requirements:
- They entered the United States before January 1, 1972, which they had to show using an I-94 travel record (formally known as the “Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record”).
- They haven’t left the United States since arrival.
- They have “good moral character,” which means they have not committed crimes such as fraud, prostitution, or murder (for more information on “Good Moral Character”).
- They can obtain U.S. citizenship through naturalization.
- They have not committed offenses that would render them “deportable” (able to be returned to their home country). Examples of such violations include drug trafficking, smuggling, and marriage fraud.
- They have not committed any offenses that would render them “inadmissible” (which means they cannot obtain a green card). Such breaches include unauthorized entry into the United States and staying in the country for more than six months on an expired visa.
- Other forms of green cards
In addition to the ones mentioned above, the United States government offers a variety of different sorts of green cards. Some of these include permanent residence cards for “special immigrants,” such as media professionals, religious workers, Afghanistan and Iraq nationals who have served the US government in specific capacities, and other sorts of workers who have worked for an international organization. Others include green cards for Cuban citizens and American Indians born in Canada.
USCIS has compiled a list of these various green card kinds and their qualifying conditions.
FaraTaran assists you in creating a tailored visa strategy for each stage of the green card application process, from forms to your immigration interview. Get started now!
