A Green card permits an alien to reside and take employment in USA. It is an Identification card, serves as a proof that card holder is a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) and has been legally granted immigration benefits.

Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) is an agency formerly responsible to issue Green cards. It mainly focused on protecting and enforcing the laws of naturalization, the process by which a foreign-born person becomes a citizen.

During a re-organization process, INS was absorbed into and replaced by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) which was further renamed as US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which still retains the responsibility for issuing green cards.

To apply a Green Card one must have a Visa that can be an Immigrant for permanent stay or Non Immigrant for temporary stay. Non Immigrant visa can be a Business Visa, Student Visa, Exchange Visa or can be a Tourist Visa as well.

The duration of the stay depends entirely on the purpose of visit. A business visa also known as B1/B2 Visa is allotted to those who are visiting US for Business Purpose, to attend short term training for short span of time, to visit to his relatives or for any medical treatment

There is another category of Business visa called as EB1/EB2 Visa allotted to priority workers including outstanding professors, researchers, International managers and executives. An EB1 petition does not require a Labor Certification.

To process it forward, an individual or employer must file a Form I-140 (a Petition for Alien Worker) with the USCIS Regional Service Center that has jurisdiction over the place where the individual will work.

Once the I-140 immigrant visa petition is approved, the alien and his/her spouse and children under 21 years of age may apply for their immigrant visas either through adjustment of status in the United States or through consular processing which an applicant can take at US consulate overseas.

Other type of Visa includes Students Visa which is allotted to students going US for studies. This visa is valid only for the span of course duration or 5 years whichever less is. Apart from these Visas there are some other categories like Tourist Visa, Transit Visa that are allotted as per the duration of stay.

There is a separate category of Visa also known as Exchange Visa or F-1 visa which is much highlighted these days for the exchange programs run by colleges and schools wherein students from foreign countries visit US to interact with their students and to understand their education pattern.

Apart from the above process one can also get a Green Card through a Green card Lottery organised by state department that provides Green Card to 50,000 winners randomly selected from all the qualified entries.

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But please note there are a bunch of dos’ and don’ts associated with both the types of Visas. I would briefly touch upon them in the under mentioned manner.

For a B1 visa traveler:

1. The person would be eligible to conduct negotiations.
2. He might solicit investment of different types or might try to enhance sales of products and articles of a different country.
3. Discuss and plan the above mentioned with interested parties even create legal agreements related to the same.
4. Attend participate or hold meetings.
5. He would be permitted to interview people for the purpose of hiring.
6. He would have all freedom under the sun to conduct any kind of business related research.

The under mentioned are what may be termed as don’ts, and to do them the person would need a working Visa.

1. No would be permitted to run any sort of business.
2. Any activity of gainful nature would not be permitted.
3. No payments may be received from any organization with in the geographic boundaries of United States would be permitted.
4. The individual would not be permitted to take part in any sort of sporting event as. However the person may be a spectator for the same.

People who would want to enter the United States as a visitor would be issued a Visa for a period of not more than six months; however extensions on the same are permissible to a maximum of another six months while in the United States.