Green card for the United States
The U.S. Green Card allows non-American citizens to live and work legally in the U.S. without requiring a U.S. visa. Every year, around 50,000 people obtain their Green Card thanks to the US government’s lottery system.
Sign up for the Green card lottery
Click to secure your application as soon as possible and avoid missing the registration deadline.
Usefulness of the Green card
The holder of the Green card enjoys the same rights as any American citizen (social security, health, education, retirement, etc.), with the exception of the right to vote and that of being a juror in a trial.
The Green card is issued by the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). Its period of validity is variable and depends on the reason for obtaining it. Renewal of the permanent resident card must be made upon request. Thus, it is possible to keep the Green card for life if you meet certain conditions (declaring your taxes, paying your taxes in the United States, not leaving the United States for a long period, etc.). Having a Green card also allows you to apply for naturalization after 5 years.
Photo Green card
This is what a permanent resident US green card looks like. This Green card is a “specimen” modified to remove the holder’s personal information. Photo ID must be less than six months old. It must comply with the requirements set for the Green Card photo and presented in the image below in terms of the position of the face and the dimensions of the passport photo.
Get your Green card
Receiving the Green card will depend on your situation. It is awarded in the following cases:
- Sponsorship by a family member : an American citizen over 21 years old (age of majority in the United States) can apply for a green card for their spouse , parents, children, adult brothers and sisters.
- Professional reasons: the opportunity to obtain a Green card through work is open to owners and directors of companies with a site in the United States, investors who create jobs in the United States, renowned artists, scientists and athletes, as well as foreigners with a concrete job offer under certain conditions (experience, level of education, profile, etc.).
- Lottery: Each year, the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) organizes a lottery to obtain a Green card , aiming to grant approximately 50,000 green cards to applicants, throughout the world. This lottery whose registration is free requires to be a citizen of an eligible country. The United States wishing to maintain a mix among immigrants, certain countries are excluded from the program, as is the case for example of Mexico and Canada.
- Political reason: people recognized as political refugees or asylum seekers can apply for a permanent resident card. After acquiring the status, they have a period of two years to complete the procedure.
For a limited stay in the U.S., it is possible to obtain a U.S. visa or a short-term travel certificate. For stays of less than 90 days in the United States, it is not necessary to obtain a Green card. You can simply apply for an ESTA via the Internet. The ESTA is an Electronic Travel Authorization issued by the United States and valid for stays of less than 90 days. To obtain your certificate in a few minutes click on the online form.