In fact, the document is called the Permanent Resident Card (Resident Card), and in the language of the bureaucracy - form I-551. The green card received its name, which, by the way, really took root with us, according to the greenish color of the plastic. In fact, this document gives a foreigner the right to reside permanently in the United States of America, work in the country and study, leave the state and again enter it (this paragraph has some restrictions, which will be described below). In fact, obtaining permanent residence equates a foreigner with US citizens. The exception is only participation in the elections. Since the card contains the metric data of its owner (photo, fingerprint), it is also an identification card. Therefore, many people are looking for a way to get a Green Card.
There are seven such methods. The first is to win the treasured card in the lottery. You can try your luck only on the only official site - dvlottery.state.gov. - and more on no other. Participation in the draw is absolutely free. All other sites that require money to participate are scams on the Internet. The winner receives the coveted status after an interview at the US Embassy. But how to get a Green Card if fortune has not smiled at you? Method number 2 is family ties in this country. However, you should have the closest relationships and connections: spouse, parents-children (and children should not be 21 years old yet). The presence of sisters and brothers, even relatives, having permanent residence in the States, does not give you the right to apply for the same status.
If you have no real relatives in this prosperous country, you can make new connections. Marrying a US citizen, getting married or being adopted by an American family is another win-win way for those who want to know how to get a Green Card. Its only drawback is the need to live in a marriage for at least two years. But the plus is that opening a card does not require returning to Russia at all. You can get out of illegal status by formalizing a legal relationship with a US citizen.
If you are in America under the H1B document (work visa), then your employer after the expiration of this document can submit the necessary papers on his behalf and open a Green Card for you. In a similar way, you can obtain permanent residence status, being a famous and outstanding artist, politician, athlete, etc. An application for political asylum and refugee status also gives you the right to stay in the country indefinitely, however, to prove that you are being persecuted in Russia for political reasons, religious beliefs, because of race or nationality will not be so easy, although possible.
If you have a million dollars lying around and you are ready to invest it in the US economy, then the question of how to get a Green Card will not be before you. Just contact an immigration lawyer (the cost of his services starts at $ 3,500). He will determine by which procedure you apply for residency - a business visa (L1) or an investment program (EB-5). After about six months, you will be given a conditional Green Card. It is valid for two years, after which a permanent one is issued for a period of ten years.
Obtaining a residence permit is a good start to entry into American citizenship. However, a long and laborious process awaits you. You need to live in this status for five years, strictly observing the rule for residents of the country: do not leave the United States of America for a period of more than 180 days a year. If you just come to the States and live, for example, in Israel or Russia, then don’t even think about how to become a US citizen. The immigration service must be sure that the country has become your real home.
After a five-year period, you can think about how to obtain American citizenship. You need to pass exams in English and American history, as well as provide documents that make it clear that you have lived honestly all these years (in particular, you have passed completed tax returns and did not commit even the most minor offenses).