Planning on living and working in the United States permanently? Here’s how to get a Green Card through consular processing from outside the U.S.A. Let’s take a look at all three simple steps to a brand new life.
1) Find Out if You Qualify for a Green Card
Many conditions must be met before you can be granted a Green Card. These consist of your work plans and the citizenship of a family member who would act as your sponsor.
Visit the USCIS.gov website and read the Green Card eligibility categories to see if you meet the requirements. If you do, select the category that describes you. Expand the chosen category under “you may be eligible to apply as a…” that most closely fits your circumstances for eligibility and application instructions.
2) Apply for a Green Card by going through a consulate
You can apply for a Green Card through a U.S. Department of State consulate while you’re abroad. Consular processing is the term for this process. You can learn how consular processing works from the USCIS.gov website, and also find out more about determining what Green Card category matches your scenario, submitting a petition for immigration, determining the papers and paperwork that’ll be required, getting ready for any in-person meetings you might have with the consulate and even estimating the date of your Green Card acquisition.
3) Find out how much obtaining a green card will cost.
When you apply for an immigrant visa, you will have to pay an affidavit of support charge as well as a processing fee for the visa application. You can learn more about these fees and see a sample invoice here.