Getting a Green Card is a lucrative option for persons wanting to live life in the United State of America. Issued by the Immigration and naturalization service (INS), the green card is a first step towards American citizen ship. It allows people to live, work, hold property, travel & avail social benefits. Lastly it also allows one to secure a Green Card for a spouse or children.

There are certain green card rules governing the qualifications required for getting a Green card. The first is “family based immigration”, wherein a US citizen or a green card holder can apply for a green card for his spouse, unmarried children under the age of 21, married children of any age, Parent, brother or sister, Then there is “employment based immigration” wherein persons with extraordinary ability, persons with advanced degrees, professors and researchers and others can apply. The third way is through the “Green Card Lottery”, wherein around 50K persons are chosen by lottery from the list of applicants. For that you have to fill in details in online available forms and to file the same online. At this point it is important to mention that the green card rules require elaborate albeit accurate data, where a small lacunae, can make things awry.

The above mentioned ways of getting a green card are among the most popular. However the INS through the green card rules for application provides some further ways for getting the same. Foreign Entrepreneurs who can invest a certain amount (starting $500,000) and give employment to a minimum of 5 persons can also apply for Green Card. Thereafter green card rules allow for certain other ways like, Adoption, to legal and illegal immigrants living in the US since 1^st January 1972, Diplomats unable to return to home country fearing prosecution, Refugees, Asylum Seekers and persons cleared by the House of Representatives.

Green card rules provide for a basic guideline for INS, however immigration is one of the most hazy, complex and subjective areas of law and discretion of the immigration officer is broad and may quite seemingly be non objective. Green card rules demand legal formalities and paperwork in the form of varied forms, petitions, disclosures, & attachments. For example the I-140 application is to filed by the employer on behalf of the employee applying for green card, family based petition require form I-130 and the like. Green card rules also put in restrictions of petitioning based on duration and others, so it is advisable to approach the INS through a qualified immigrations attorney. Rules, Rules and more Green card rules, but then it surely is worth it… and it is not just me who knows it.