US Immigration
Information taken from uscis.gov and travel.state.gov
There are four ways for acquiring the right of Permanent Residence in the United States of America:
- Participation in Green Card Lottery
- Family-based immigration
- Employment-based immigration
- Refuge or asylum applications
Successful applicants and holders of US immigrant visas become permanent residents of the United States. Permanent residents are entitled to live, work and study in the United States on a permanent basis. They receive their Green Card within 30 days of their admission to the United States.
To be admitted to the United States, a Green Card holder is required to present his/her Green Card if seeking readmission after a temporary absence of less than 1 year; Permit to Reenter the United States, or Refugee Travel Document, properly endorsed to reflect admission as a lawful permanent resident.
Together with the many freedoms associated with permanent residence is the ability to apply for US citizenship.