Green Cards: Permanent Residency through
Work, Family, Fear, or Luck

• What is a Green Card?
• Work: Employment-Based Green Cards
• Family: Family-Based Green Cards
• Fear: Political Asylum
• Luck: Visa Lottery Program
• Assistance with Green Card Process

What is a Green Card?

"Green cards" are documents that allow persons from other countries to live and work in the United States permanently.  A person with a green card is a permanent resident in the United States.  Permanent residents have many of the same rights and obligations of U.S. citizens.  The major differences are that permanent residents cannot vote and they can be deported for certain types of crimes. 

Below is information and links to details about the most common ways for obtaining permanent residency in the United States.

Work: Employment-Based Green Cards

You can obtain a green card through your employment in the United States, based on your achievements, your occupation, or because of shortages of qualified U.S. workers for your position.  Employment-based green card opportunities include:

• Achievement-Based opportunities
  • Aliens of Extraordinary Ability (EB-1A)
  • Outstanding Professors or Researchers (EB-1B)
  • National Interest Waivers (NIW)
• Occupation-Based opportunities
  • Multinational Executives and Managers (EB-1C)
  • Nurses and Physical Therapists
  • Doctors
• Shortage-Based opportunities
  • Labor Certification, including Standard Processing (cases filed before March 28, 2005), Reduction in Recruitment ("RIR") (cases filed before March 28, 2005) and PERM (cases filed on or after March 28, 2005).

Family-Based Green Cards

You may also obtain a green card based on your family relationship with a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.  More information about family-based opportunities is available on the Peng & Weber site.  

Fear: Political Asylum

You may be granted political asylum and be eligible for a green card if you fear certain types of persecution if you return to your home country.  Find out more information about political asylum.

Luck: Visa Lottery Program

You may be eligible to receive a green card through the visa lottery, which provides permanent residency for citizens of certain countries through a random drawing.  Find out more information about the visa lottery process.

Assistance with Green Card Process

Select any of the options above to learn more about that process for obtaining a green card.  If you would like assistance applying for permanent residency, please contact Peng & Weber for a consultation.