How long do you have to stay in the US to become a permanent resident?

There are different pathways to get PR (permanent residency) in the United States, each of which has its own requirements and process.

When you become a permanent resident of the United States, you receive a US Permanent Resident Green Card to carry as identification and proof that you can live, study and work in the USA for an unlimited length of time.

In general, to become a US permanent resident, you must satisfy the eligibility requirements for one of the Green Card categories (i.e., pathways) such as:

• Employment-Based (EB) Green Cards:
  • EB-1 Green Card: The requirements generally include:
    • being a skilled foreign worker with extraordinary ability in the arts, athletics, business, education or science; OR
    • being an outstanding professor or researcher; OR
    • being a multinational executive or manager.
  • EB-2 Green Card: The requirements generally include:
    • having a job that requires an advanced degree and holding that degree; OR
    • demonstrating exceptional ability in the arts, business or science.
  • EB-3 Green Card: The requirements generally include:
    • being a skilled foreign worker with 2 years of education, training or job experience who will fill a job for which no US workers are available; OR
    • being a foreign professional with at least a Bachelor’s Degree who will work in a job for which there are no US workers available; OR
    • being an unskilled worker who can engage in unskilled labor that requires less than 2 years of experience or training;
    • receiving a Labor Certification from the US Department of Labor or USCIS.
  • EB-4 Green Card: The requirements generally include being a “special immigrant” (such as the examples below) and the filing of a Form I-360 petition by an employer in the US on behalf of the special immigrant:
    • Particular foreign broadcasters
    • Religious workers
    • Afghan or Iraqi interpreters or translators who worked for the US
    • Afghans who worked for the US government or ISAF in Afghanistan
    • Iraqis who worked for or on behalf of the US government in Iraq
    • Special immigrant juveniles
    • Particular retired officers or employees of NATO
    • Particular retired officers or employees of G-4 international organizations
  • EB-5 Green Card: The requirements generally include:
    • Investing at least $1,050,000 USD in a new US commercial enterprise OR investing $800,000 USD in a new commercial enterprise located in a “targeted employment area” of the United States (for example, a part of the US with high unemployment or a rural area that doesn’t have enough jobs).
    • The new US commercial enterprise must produce at least 10 full-time jobs in the US for employees who qualify over a two-year period.
• Family-Sponsored Green Cards:

• • The largest number of Green Cards are granted to eligible family members of American citizens and US permanent residents.

• • An American citizen can sponsor his or her spouse; fiancé; dependent children who are under 21 years or age and unmarried; parents (if the US citizen is 21 years of age or older); or certain other family members.
    

• • A lawful permanent resident of the United States can sponsor a spouse; dependent child under 21 years of age who is unmarried; or certain other family members.
• Green Cards for Asylum-Seekers and Refugees:
  • Asylum-seekers can apply for a Green Card one year after being approved to live in the USA with asylum status (they must live in the US with this status one year).
  • Refugees can apply for a Green Card one year after being approved to live in the USA with refugee status (they must live in the US with this status one year).
• Green Cards through the Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery:
  • The Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery is the easiest way to become a US permanent resident Green Card holder.
  • One requirement is to have been born in a country that is eligible to participate (the US State Department publishes a list of eligible and ineligible countries each September before the annual registration period begins in October).
  • The second requirement is to have completed at least 12 years of primary school and secondary school education (for example, to have a High School Diploma) OR to have at least two years of work experience during the past five years in an eligible occupation that requires a minimum of two years of post-secondary training or experience to perform.
  • The application and photo(s) for the Green Card Lottery must be submitted according to the official regulations during the registration period; the applicant must be randomly selected in the Lottery to continue the US immigration procedure; and then pass the consular process successfully to receive a US Diversity Immigrant Visa and Permanent Resident Green Card.