Yes, US permanent resident Green Card holders have the option to apply for American citizenship through the “naturalization” process after living in the United States for a minimum of five years and satisfying other eligibility requirements.
US Permanent Resident Green Card holders can receive many benefits including:
– Living in the US for an unlimited amount of time
– Working in the US for an unlimited amount of time
– Accessing world-class education in the United States
– Applying for Financial Aid to help pay for higher education in the US
– Traveling to and from the US according to the regulations
– Having the opportunity to buy a home in the USA
– Being able to start a business in the United States
– Sponsoring eligible family members for a US Green Card
– Receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits once eligible
– Opening a bank account in the United States
– Getting a driver’s license in the US state of residence
– Becoming an American citizen after living in the US at least five years and satisfying other eligibility requirements
All US immigrant visas and Green Cards, as well as most temporary US work visas, allow the primary applicant’s dependent family members (spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age) to apply for the relevant US visa for family members so they can accompany the main applicant to legally live in the United States.
The GCL Experts legal team can evaluate your potential eligibility to apply for a US visa for legal residence in the United States (for example, with a Permanent Resident Green Card or a temporary work visa).
Our online US Visa Assessment form is easy to complete: simply enter your relevant details, submit the completed form for review by our experienced legal team, and you will receive your US Visa Assessment results within 14 days.
Each of the dozens of US visas has its own eligibility requirements and application procedure, so knowing which US visa best matches your profile is an important step in the US immigration process.
If you are assessed as eligible to apply for a particular US visa, GCL Experts also offers step-by-step guidance from our experienced legal team during the application procedure.
To register for your US Visa Assessment, click here!
The O-1 Visa is a nonimmigrant temporary US work visa for Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement.
The O-1A Visa is for people with extraordinary ability in athletics, business, education, or the sciences.
The O-1B Visa is for people with extraordinary achievement in the film and television industry or those with extraordinary ability in the arts.
Applicants for the O-1 Visa will generally need to receive a qualifying US job offer from a sponsoring employer in the United States.
This nonimmigrant temporary US work visa is valid for up to three years and has an option to be extended if the criteria are satisfied.
The O-1 Visa holder’s spouse and dependent children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) may apply for the O-3 Visa for accompanying family members.
The L-1 Visa is a nonimmigrant temporary US work visa for Intracompany Transferees.
In general, the L-1A Visa is for executives or managers who will transfer to work at an affiliate/branch office in the United States or who will help to establish an affiliate/branch office in the USA.
The L-1B Visa is for an employee with specialized knowledge who will transfer to work at an affiliate/branch office in the United States or who will help to establish an affiliate/branch office in the USA.
The L-1 Visa is generally valid for up to one year for workers who will transfer to establish an affiliate/branch office in the United States, but is usually valid for up to three years for all other eligible employees, and it has an option to be extended if the criteria are satisfied.
The L-1 Visa holder’s spouse and dependent children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) may apply for the relevant US visa for accompanying family members.
The H-2B Visa is a nonimmigrant US work visa for Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers.
This temporary US work visa requires a foreign worker to receive a qualifying US job offer from an eligible sponsoring employer in the United States.
The H-2B Visa is generally valid for the amount of time that was approved on the temporary labor certification and has an option to be extended for durations of up to one year each time (for a maximum of three years total).
After working in the US with an H-2B Visa for a total of three years, the foreign worker must exit the United States for at least 60 days prior to applying for re-entry to the USA with H-2B Visa status.
The H-2B Visa holder’s spouse and dependent children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) may apply for the H-4 Visa for accompanying family members.
The H-2A Visa is a nonimmigrant US work visa for Temporary Agricultural Workers.
This temporary US work visa requires a foreign worker to receive a qualifying US job offer from an eligible sponsoring employer in the United States.
The H-2A Visa is generally valid for the amount of time that was approved on the temporary labor certification and has an option to be extended for durations of up to one year each time (for a maximum of three years total).
After working in the US with an H-2A Visa for a total of three years, the foreign worker must exit the United States for at least 60 days prior to applying for re-entry to the USA with H-2A Visa status.
The H-2A Visa holder’s spouse and dependent children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) may apply for the H-4 Visa for accompanying family members.
The H-1B Visa is a nonimmigrant temporary US work visa for Individuals with Specialty Occupations.
Applicants for the H-1B Visa will generally need to receive a qualifying US job offer from a sponsoring employer in the United States.
This nonimmigrant temporary US work visa is valid for up to three years and has an option to be extended for up to an additional three years if the criteria are satisfied.
The H-1B Visa holder’s spouse and dependent children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) may apply for the H-4 Visa for accompanying family members.
The E-2 Visa is a nonimmigrant temporary US work visa for Treaty Investors.
In general, this nonimmigrant temporary US work visa allows a citizen of a country that has a treaty of commerce and navigation or other qualifying international agreement with the United States, to live and work in the USA after making a substantial investment in a US business and satisfying other criteria.
This nonimmigrant temporary US work visa is valid for up to two years and has an option to be extended for periods of up to two years each time with no limit on the number of extensions if the criteria are satisfied.
The E-2 Visa holder’s spouse and dependent children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) may apply for the relevant nonimmigrant US visa for accompanying family members.