General Paths to Permanent Residency

Mechamisms for Obtaining Permanent Residency

There are three general pathways to permanent residency in the U.S.:

• Through Family
• Through Employment
• Through the Green Card Lottery

Stages in the Permanent Residency Process

There are essentially three different stages in the process. The sponsor of the green card, be it the family member or the employer, generally drives the first two while the employee is responsible for the final one:

1. The Eligibility Stage: During this stage the Sponsor establishes the foreign national's eligiblity for a given green card classification. In the employment-based process this includes going through the Labor Certification process or assembling the documentation needed for the classification that is exempt from that process.
2. The Classification Stage: Petitioning U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for that classification. During this stage the sponsor formally submits a Petition for Immigrant Worker or a Petition for Alien Relative to USCIS to make a determination that the individual is eligible for the classification requested. The petition is supported by the documentation assembled during the first stage.
3. The Adjustment Stage: This final step of the process is the international's (and any dependents) personal application for immigrant status.