HOW TO

APPLY FOR
A GREEN
CARD?
WHAT IS A
GREEN
CARD?
Green Card is the unofficial nickname for
the permit allowing immigrants to
permanently live and work in the United
States of America.

The official name of the US Green Card is

“Lawful Permanent Resident Card”.
It even has a more bureaucratic
name: Form I-551.

Green Card holders are known as

“Permanent Residents”.
PURPOSE OF GREEN CARD

Those who have a Green Card are

allowed to emigrate to the USA and stay
there for as long as they like. Owning a
Green Card is the basic requirement to
moving to the USA.
Green Card holders can choose
their place of work or where they
want to live in the USA without
limits and for however long they
want.
Green card includes biographic information
such as:

-Name
-Country of birth
-Birth date
-Sex
-Card expiration date, and the date of
admission as a permanent resident.
USCIS# - it describes the cardholder’s
alien registration number or “A-number.”

Category- describes the immigrant visa

category that was used to admit an
immigrant to the U.S. as a permanent
resident or conditional permanent
resident.
 RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A
GREEN CARD HOLDER

Can live and work in the USA for as long as

they like and even become a U.S. citizen
after five years.

The intended purpose of a Green Card is to

permanently move to America.
Make the USA their new home.

One of these includes filing a

U.S. tax return every year.
REQUIREMENTS/DOCUMENTS

-Birth certificate
-Marriage certificate, if applicable
-Financial documents
-Proof of sponsor’s U.S. citizenship
or permanent residence
-Proof of lawful U.S. entry and status, if
applicable
-Police clearance certificate, if applicable
-Court, police, and prison records, if
applicable
-Military records, if applicable
-Immigration violation records,
if applicable
 2 ways in applying for a
Green Card

1.Consular Processing
2.Adjustment of Status
Consular processing
is the procedure of applying for
for lawful permanent resident
status (a Green Card) through a
U.S. Embassy or consulate in a
foreign country.
8 Steps in Consular Processing
1.Determine Your Basis to Immigrate

2. File the Immigrant Petition

3. Wait for a Decision on Your Petition

4. Wait for Notification from the National Visa

Center
5. Go to Your Appointment

6. Notify the National Visa Center of

Any Changes

7. After Your Visa is Granted

8. Receive Your Green Card

Adjustment of Status
is the process that you can
use to apply for lawful
permanent resident when
you are present in the
United States
This means that you may get a
Green Card without having to return
to your home country to complete
visa processing.
If you are outside of the United
States, you must obtain your visa
abroad through consular
processing.
Steps for Adjustment of Status
1.Determine if you are eligible to apply for a
Green Card

2. You or someone else must file an immigrant

petition for you (if applicable)

3. Check visa availability (if applicable)

4. File Form I-485

5. Go to your Application Support Center
appointment

6. Go to your interview (if applicable)

7. Respond to request for additional evidence

(if applicable)

8. Check your case status

9. Receive a decision
How long does the Green Card valid?

-10 years for Regular Permanent

Residents
-2 years for Conditional Permanent
Residents
Ex. acquired through marriage (less
than 2 years)
Who is eligible?

Individuals who want to become

immigrants (permanent residents)
through their qualified family member,
a job offer or employment, or a special
category will generally be classified in
categories based on a preference
system.
With a few exceptions (such as for
immediate relatives of a U.S.
citizen who are given the highest
immigration priority, Congress has
set a finite number of visas that
can be used each year for each
category of immigrants.
In general, to meet the
requirements for
permanent residence in the
United States, you must:
-Be eligible for one of the immigrant
categories established in the
Immigration and Nationality Act
(INA),
-Have a qualifying immigrant
petition filed and approved for you
(with a few exceptions),
-Have an immigrant visa
immediately available, and
-Be admissible to the United
States.
Forms and Fees
Form I-485. Application to
Register Permanent
Residence or Adjust Status
Fees

The filing fee is $985

If biometric data is required, there is an

additional fee of $85, bringing the total
filing fees to $1070.
TIPS
Filing the Forms with Customs and
Immigration
The key to filing for a green card is to ensure
you supply all the information required, in
the required format, along with all of the up-
to-date forms and paperwork. Where
possible, it’s best to fill the documents out
online, directly on the
USCIS website.
NOTE: You have to complete the
forms in English!

Once you think you’ve got

everything together for filing for a
green card, the USCIS recommends
the following checks
1.Check if you signed the forms.

2.Check if you pay appropriate

fees.

3.Ensure you’ve answered all

questions thoroughly and
correctly.
4. Check if your name and date of birth
match and identical in every form.
5. After checking your forms, mail it to
the appropriate address using USPS, or
other approved service such as UPS
and FedEx.
Tips for Passing the Interview
when Filing for a Green Card
Be prepared to answer a host
of personal questions about
your life when filing for a
green card.
Most of all, you want to answer all
questions truthfully and to the best of
your ability. The interview is designed to
identify individuals who are trying to
game the system. The can be as innocent
as pretending to be in love, to as
nefarious as entering the U.S. with the
intent to perpetrate illegal activities,
including terrorism.
 REPORTERS:

ALCANTARA, JOHN CARLO

DELA PEÑA, JULIE MAE

CRISOSTOMO, ADONA

ROLDAN, BIANCA

MANALAD, ROSE ANNE