Immigration
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IMMIGRATION
A person may qualify to become a legal permanent resident (LPR) of the U.S. in a variety of ways as follows:
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family-based petitions
U.S. Citizen Sponsor
Who Can Be Sponsored:
Spouse, child, parent or sibling of U.S. Citizen can be petitioned to become a legal permanent resident.
How Long To Become a Legal Permanent Resident:
The processing time is determined by a variety of factors.
A priority date is established when an immigrant petition is initially filed with Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS).
Your priority date determines when beneficiary will be able to become a legal permanent resident.
BCIS periodically publishes a chart showing when priority date will be processed.
Legal Permanent Resident Sponsor
Who Can Be Sponsored:
A Spouse or unmarried child of a legal permanent resident can be petitioned to become a legal permanent resident
How Long to Become a Legal Permanent Resident:
The processing time is determined by a variety of factors.
Your priority date is established when an immigrant petition is initially filed with BCIS.
The U.S. State Department periodically publishes a chart showing when your priority date will be processed.
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Employment Based Immigrants
Labor Certification
Who Qualifies:
Person must have at least two years of experience in a job that requires special job skills. (Note: There are published lists stating which types of jobs qualify).
Person must have employer who is willing to offer full time employment in skill area.
Processing Time:
There are different ways to process a labor certification application. The processing time ranges from one to four years depending on the type of labor certification application that was filed.
Aliens With Extraordinary Abilities
Who Qualifies:
Persons with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics which has been demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim qualify for this type of application. These applications are not subject to labor certification.
Processing Time:
Extraordinary ability applications are processed in 12-18 months.
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Diversity Immigrants
Who Qualifies:
People who come from certain regions of the world may apply for the diversity lottery. You must be a high school graduate and have at least 2 years of work experience in an occupation requiring at least 2 years of experience.
Procedure:
There is a random selection process each year. The number of diversity visas available each year is 55,000. Your probability of being selected is determined by country from which you come from.
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Refugees & Asylees
Who Qualifies:
Persons with a well founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion may be eligible for asylum or refugee status.
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Registry
Who Qualifies:
A person who entered the U.S. prior to January 1, 1972 and has maintained continued residence may qualify to become a legal permanent resident.
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