11.
R-1 RELIGIOUS WORKER
VISA. The U.S. Government
issues visas to individuals who are members of legitimate religious
organizations, so they can live and work legally in the United States
for a specific period of time. These visas are called R-1 visas. R-1
visas are made available to members of the clergy and also to key
employees of religious organizations. R-1 visas can be obtained if the
applicant has been a member of a legitimate religious denomination for
at least 2 years. R-2 visas can be obtained for accompanying relatives
of the main applicant (R-1 visa holder).
For more information on the R-1 Religious
Worker visa visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website at
Visit the More information on Religious Worker visas can be found at
http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/eligibility4.htm.
GREEN CARD
A Green
Card is the government document that certifies your status as a permanent
resident. There are a number of ways to obtain a green card and that is by
getting an employer to sponsor you, entering a green card lottery, or
marrying a
U.S.
citizen.
Employer
Sponsored Green Card
The
Employer Sponsored Green Card is a three step process and involves filing a
Labor Certification Application, the Immigrant Petition, and the Adjustment
of Status. The first step takes approximately six months, the second
approximately three months, and the third approximately one year.
Applications for these types of green cards are processed on a regional
basis, so time estimates can vary depending on what state you apply from.
For example, more of these types of applications are filed from
California, Texas, and Florida, but are much lower in
Iowa.
In other words, if you want to reduce the amount of time involved to obtain
this type of green card, you should consider going to a state with a lower
quota. You can, however, begin working after the first two steps are
completed successfully.
To begin
the process, the employer must petition the U.S. Department of Labor for a
Labor Certification. Information and details on how to file a Labor
Certification Application can be found at
http://www.dol.gov.
Once you
obtain the Labor Certification, you can then file the Immigrant Petition.
This petition is filed with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration
Services,
http://uscis.gov/graphics. You will
need to file Form I-140 and the fee is $115.00. You will need to send in
your Labor Certification with this form. Once this petition is approved,
you can apply for interim travel and work authorization, which are usually
issued immediately, and will allow you to begin working for your employer
right away.
The final
step in the Employer Sponsored Green Card process is the Adjustment of
Status. This step is necessary only to secure a permanent
adjustment of your status as a temporary worker or visiting student to a
permanent resident. You will also file an application and Form I-485 with
the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services,
http://uscis.gov/graphics. There is
a minimal fee to file this step and must submit the two previously acquired
documents with this application. This step can take as long as a year,
however, the delay is somewhat irrelevant since you have already acquired
the right to work in the
U.S.
Diversity
Visa Lottery Program
Several years ago, the U.S. Department of State instituted a program known
as the Diversity Immigrant Lottery, or “DV”. Under this program,
approximately 50,000 green cards are issued each year to foreigners chosen
randomly from a computer program. To be eligible for this program you must
have a high school education or its equivalent, defined by the government as
“successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary
education; or two years of work experience within the past five years in an
occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to
perform. All of the details on this
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