How can I get a free green card?
A green card is the Holy Grail for millions of people around the world. This card entitles its holder to become a permanent resident of the United States. This means not only the right to live in the USA permanently, but also to work in the USA indefinitely and/or to study at an American university.
Many people ask how to get a free green card. Unfortunately, whatever the solution, there will always be a price to pay. The American dream comes at a price, and it can be very high.
How to get a free green card The different scenarios
First of all, you need to know who can apply for a green card. There are several possible cases.
Every year, the majority of applications are for family reunification. You must therefore have a family member already living in the United States of America. This relative may be an American citizen or a permanent resident (in possession of a green card). An American citizen can sponsor a wider circle of relatives than a permanent resident.
How to get a free green card will surely be a question he’ll ask you. You can tell him that he has to sponsor you, which involves applying for a petition and paying a fee of $525. The application will be reviewed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Please note that no refunds are possible, even if your application is rejected.
In addition, if your petition is approved, you’ll be required to pay a U.S. visa application fee of $1225. You should also expect to pay for any documents or formalities required by the U.S. government during the interview with the consular officer, such as passport photos, a medical examination, travel to the U.S. embassy or consulate, the cost of expatriation insurance and any application for a social security number.
You can also be sponsored by an employer who offers you a permanent position in the USA. Employer sponsorship costs an average of $10,000 to qualify, including application and law firm fees. In this case, the employer covers a large part of the legal fees to help you live in the USA.
Certain people with recognized or so-called extraordinary technical abilities can sponsor themselves, and are therefore exempt from paying the petition fee. They will still be required to pay a visa application fee of $1225.
The American authorities have a quota of visas to issue each year. The process can take from 2 to 5 years.
Is there any wayto get a free green card ?
As we’ve just seen, immigrating to the USA represents a fairly high cost, both for you and for the person sponsoring you. So.., how to get a free green card ? Is there a way? Well, yes, there is, but it requires you to be in a situation where you fear for your safety.
Asylum seekers and refugees benefit from a waiver of the procedural fees for obtaining their US green card. But to be considered as such, you must have justified fears that remaining in your current country would be dangerous for you and your family. The criteria for asylum seeker status are based on 5 points of persecution: race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a specific social group.
The green card lottery: or how to get a green card (almost) for free ?
In order to qualify for low-cost expatriation and obtain a green card (almost) free of chargeOne solution is to take part in the green card lottery. Launched in 1994 as part of the Diversity Visa Program, this lottery entitles 55,000 people selected at random each year to expatriate and establish permanent residency in the United States of America.
Registration for the lottery is completely free, and can be done via the government website. There are, however, a few admissibility requirements for prospective immigrants. For example, nationals of certain countries (Canada, UK, Haiti) are not allowed to register. Applicants must also have a higher education diploma or recognized professional experience in a trade requiring at least two years’ training. The draw is made by geographical area, with the majority of green cards reserved for areas that are generally under-represented in US immigration figures.
If you’re lucky enough to be selected, you’ll already avoid the significant cost of the petition. But you won’t escape the cost of the visa application procedure that follows your selection. Without a USA visa, you won’t be able to enter the USA.
It is important to know that a permanent resident card does not entitle you to American citizenship or the right to vote. However, naturalization is possible within 3 to 5 years of your arrival on American soil. This procedure, of course, involves paying additional fees.
