Peri Edelman - Permanent Residency Visas

Permanent Residency Visas
"Green Cards"

Family Sponsored Immigration

U.S. citizens may petition for spouses, parents, children and siblings. Permanent residents may petition for spouses and children. Preference relatives may receive all of the visas not used by Immediate Relatives. Family-based preference categories include:

1. First Preference: Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens who are over 21 years of age

2. Second Preference: Spouses, children, and unmarried sons and daughters of lawful permanent resident aliens

3. Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and children.

4. Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and children, provided the U.S. citizens are over 20.

Employment-Based
Immigrant visas are available for this category which is divided into five preference groups:

1. Priority Workers: Persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; outstanding professors and researchers; and certain multinational executives and managers.

2. Members of the Professions: Professionals holding advanced degrees, and persons of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, and business.

3. Professionals, Skilled and Unskilled Workers: Professionals holding baccalaureate degrees, skilled workers with at least two years experience, and other workers whose skills are in short supply in the United States. Aliens in this category normally must have a job offer. and the potential employer must complete the labor certification process.

4. Special Immigrants: Certain religious workers, ministers of religion, certain international organization employees and their immediate family members, and qualified, recommended current and former U.S. Government employees.

5. Investors: Persons who create employment for at least ten unrelated persons by investing capital in a new commercial enterprise in the United States. The minimum capital required is between $500,000 and $1,000,000, depending on the employment rate in the geographic area.