Green Card & Visa News

Green card is actually a permanent resident card which gives somebody the right to work and live permanently in US. Green card holder has to follow rules and law of the immigration as well as being registered properly with the US government.

Nevertheless, there are limitations for those who wish to leave the country for quite a long time, whether it is for work purpose or vacation. They need to know how long they can stay outside the country without losing their Green Card or permanent resident status.

So, in order for them to avoid the risk of losing the status, they need to get a document called “Reentry Permit” from the USCIS before traveling.

It is not so easy for Indians to get their US Green Card. This is because they need to undergo some processes which sometimes may take years to obtain it.

Many Indian software engineers who hold H1B or any H1 visa think that they need not to worry about applying for Green Card since they have a total of six years and only worry about it until their third or fourth year.

This is wrong as you should apply as early as you can since many Indian immigrants suddenly change their mind to stay in US after three years working. You should start applying within the first year. Do keep your English version of your birth certificate, education degrees and experience letters in hand.

One more thing, if you are planning on getting married, it is advisable for you to get married while you are holding your H1 visa and before the approval of your Green Card.

This is because, your wife/husband-to-be will enter the United States using H4 visa which is the spouse visa. Therefore, the time before your application of I-485 (final step to get Green Card) is the best time to get married.

For your information, the process of obtaining Green Card involves three stages which is Labor Certification, I-140, and I-485. So, you can add your wife/husband-to-be the application of your I-485 so that you and her/him will obtain the Green Cards together.

Nowadays, it is quite hard to get a Green Card. So, you have to apply for your Green Card as early as you can. After you already got your Green Card, you can start applying for US citizenship after five years of the approval of your Green Card. Lastly, you might also want to consider for the application of Indian overseas citizenship.