FAQ

Family-based immigration relies on relationships with U.S. citizens or permanent residents to sponsor relatives, while business immigration uses employment or investment to qualify for work visas or green cards. Each category has different processing timelines, eligibility requirements, and documentation standards. Family cases prioritize relationship proof, while business cases focus on job qualifications or investment capital.

Citizenship becomes available after holding a green card for five years, or three years if married to a U.S. citizen. Citizens can vote, sponsor family members faster, and eliminate the risk of deportation or green card renewal requirements. Apply once you meet the continuous residence requirement and can pass the civics and English tests.

Employees transferring from foreign offices to U.S. locations typically qualify for L-1 intracompany transfer visas if they've worked for the company abroad for at least one year in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge role. The U.S. office must be a subsidiary, parent, branch, or affiliate of the foreign company. Processing time depends on whether premium processing is used.

U.S. citizens can sponsor spouses, children, parents, and siblings for green cards. Immediate relatives - spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents - face no visa quotas and process faster. Siblings and married children fall into preference categories with years-long backlogs depending on the applicant's country of origin.

Green cards can be revoked if you abandon U.S. residency by living abroad for extended periods, commit certain crimes, or fail to file taxes. Trips over six months require reentry permits, and absences over one year create a presumption of abandonment. Conditional green cards also expire if you don't file to remove conditions on time.

Entrepreneurs can pursue E-2 treaty investor visas by investing substantial capital in a U.S. business, or EB-5 immigrant investor green cards requiring $800,000 to $1.05 million investment and job creation. L-1A visas work for founders transferring from their own foreign companies. Each option has different capital thresholds, job requirements, and visa duration limits.

Marriage to a U.S. citizen allows immediate visa petition filing without waiting in preference categories. You can apply for a green card immediately if already in the U.S., or process through consular interview abroad. The citizenship eligibility period also drops from five years to three years after receiving the green card.

Officers review your application for accuracy, test English reading and writing using simple sentences, and administer a civics test covering U.S. history and government. You'll answer questions about your background, travel history, and moral character under oath. The officer determines eligibility on the spot in most cases, though some require additional review.

Most employment-based green cards require PERM labor certification proving no qualified U.S. workers are available for the position. Employers must advertise the job, document recruitment efforts, and demonstrate the foreign worker's qualifications exceed available candidates. This process protects the U.S. labor market and adds several months to case timelines.

Yes, you can hold a work visa while a family member petitions for your green card. Work visas like H-1B allow dual intent, meaning you can pursue temporary work authorization and permanent residency simultaneously. The work visa maintains legal status while the family petition processes, which can take months to years depending on your relationship and country.