How to get or keep the Green Card in the United States?

How to get or keep the Green Card in the United States?
Green CardThe Green Card or “green card”, we've all heard of it, but do you know exactly what it is? This is a precious sesame: a permanent resident card that allows you to move and work freely in the United States, without having to apply for a visa. This card gives you the same rights as an American citizen, except the right to vote

What is the Green Card?

The Green Card is nothing but a permanent resident card in the United States. This is an identification document for non-US citizens, issued by the US State Department. The Green Card gives you the same rights and duties as an American citizen and makes your life as an expatriate in the United States easier. As a US citizen, you are required to obey the law and pay your taxes. However, there are privileges that are reserved for US citizens only, such as the right to vote or the ability to serve on a jury. Likewise, unlike nationals who are not required to have an identity document with them, your permanent resident card must not leave you in order to be able to show it at any time in the event of an identity check.

The Green Card gives you the right to stay and exercise a professional activity or study in the United States, but not only! Thanks to your permanent resident card, it will be easier for you to apply for university scholarships for your children. Even if you don't get a scholarship, your permanent resident status means you benefit from much lower university tuition fees. The Green Card also gives you the right to loans at a preferential rate. This permanent resident card is also the key to obtaining US citizenship. Indeed, after 5 years of holding the Green Card, you can start the process to apply for a nationality. This period can be reduced to 3 years in certain cases.

Having the green card offers many benefits for those wishing to travel and live in the United States, but it also presents a few constraints that must be taken into consideration. As a permanent resident of the United States, you are required to pay your taxes in the United States. So, like US citizens, you must pay federal taxes, state and city taxes where you reside, and local taxes. You are also required to report all of your income in the United States. In other words, this means that you have to report any capital gains you earn from both your US and foreign investments for income tax purposes. Young men between the ages of 18 and 26 who hold the Green Card are also required to register for military service.

How to get the Green Card?

You will understand, the Green Card is the royal way to live in the United States and then be able to claim American nationality. So how do you get this famous Green Card?

The wedding

The easiest way to get the Green Card is to marry a US citizen. To limit sham marriages, the authorities issue a temporary green card for the first two years of marriage, then a permanent permanent resident card once this deadline has passed. Nor is it granted automatically. The spouses go through an interview with an immigration officer who will be in charge of assessing the legitimacy of the marriage. After the two-year "trial period," the immigration service sends the couple a form to fill out to check if the couple are still married. If so, the final Green Card is granted to the foreign spouse. The validity of this is 10 years.

It should be noted that the formalities relating to the application for a permanent resident card must be carried out by the American citizen. The procedure to follow is not the same depending on whether the husband or wife is already in the United States or abroad.

If the spouse is already in the United States, the United States citizen spouse must apply for a green card at the same time as the application for a work permit. This work permit allows the spouse to exercise a professional activity and move around the United States while waiting to obtain the permanent resident card. Generally speaking, this work permit is issued 90 days after application.

If the spouse is still abroad, the US spouse is required to apply for a K-3 visa at the same time as the Green Card application. This special visa allows the husband to stay and work in the United States while waiting to obtain his permanent resident card. The duration of this visa is 2 years renewable until obtaining