Getting a Green Card – How Long Does It Take? PART 1

Hello, welcome to the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram! In this presentation, we’ll explore the different types of visas and how they may help you in your path toward a Green Card. Also, we’ll help you to analyze data to stipulate how long the process will take. Let’s dive in.

Almost everyone looking to relocate to the U.S. wants a Legal Permanent Residency, known as the Green Card. At the same time, most people realize that getting a Green Card status can be quite a process that often involves working your way up the immigration ladder from a work visa(s) to a Green Card.

We’d like to outline the various types of work visas you can apply for to get into the U.S. Many of our clients are already on one of these visas. Then, we can speculate how long it will take to secure your Green Card from there.

Let us walk you through the most usual work visas.

TN Work Visas – These are Graduate-level visas for Canadians and Mexicans. There are no quotas, but U.S. company sponsorship is required.

E-3 Visas – These are graduate-level visas for Australians. There is a quota of 10,500. However, typically, only half are taken up. U.S. company sponsorship is also required.

L-1A Intracompany Visa – As its name suggests, this visa facilitates Managers and Executives to transfer from their home country company to join their already established branch in the U.S. or set up a U.S. branch from scratch. This visa can last up to seven years, during which you can work on securing your Green Card. Please note that a home country sponsorship is required.

H-1B Graduate Visa – This visa is ideally suited to professionals with Bachelor’s Degrees or higher. It is extremely popular, but only 85,000 are issued each year. The H-1B visa can last up to six years, but it can be extended further if you already have a Green Card application in the works. A U.S. company sponsorship is required.

E-2 Investment Visa – This visa serves a dual purpose. First, it enables the alien to set up and buy a business in the U.S., but it also allows the spouse to work outside the business and gain employment that could lead to a Green Card application. This visa can be U.S. “Company-Sponsored” or “Self-Sponsored.”

O-1 Visa – Ideal for top professionals in their field, with no quotas to worry about. A U.S. company or agent sponsorship is needed.