Citizenship Test

By Graham Arrowsmith

The U.S. Government has issued 65,000 green cards this year
for the purpose of allowing people of foreign birth to live and
work in the United States. But what is a green card? How does it
work and what is the application process?
A green card is usually issued to people who are normally
permanent residents in the United States and who wish to become
a US citizen.

After five years that person is usually eligible to
apply for citizenship and naturalization.
In practice there are two broad ways of getting a green card.
These are through employment in the United States and through
their immediate family.

The correct term for the former type of green card is the H1B
Work Visa. This is issued by the U.S. Government and allows
foreign professionals from all over the world the opportunity to
live and work in the United States.

As one Fortune 500 company recently told our H1B Research
Group, "International job seekers who do not take action now,
will miss this narrowing opportunity to work in the US.
It is crucial to find an H1B Job within the next few months, to even
stand a chance of being counted towards the quota."

These are common feelings and sentiments from many of the H1B


sponsor companies.

Many of the top US sponsor companies who were shut out in the
cold, due to this year's H1B Cap being reached very early, are
doing everything in their power to ensure they get their fair
share of new H1B visa employees as fast as possible.
People wishing to work in the USA will:

1. Need to find a job within a company who will 'sponsor' an
H1B visa for the employee.
2. Ensure the new employer (known as the sponsor company) then
files the H1B application on behalf of the employee.
3. Wait until the visa application is approved by the US

Immigration Bureau.

Two special categories involving work are Labor and National
Interest. In the case of Labor, an applicant may obtain a green
card who shows the ability and willingness to perform a specific
job in a specifically assigned region, according to a specific
set of skills.

Employer sponsorship may be waived in the case of an applicant
who can demonstrate that he or she has professional skills to be
of national interest to the United States.

In extraordinary cases, if individuals can demonstrate skills


or knowledge that are so specialized that they put them at the
top of their field, those individuals can usually be granted a
green card without the usual official procedures on the grounds
of justified exemption.

A similar arrangement would exist for academics and
researchers who are recognized internationally as being at the
top of their field. In the case of applications for a green card because of family connections, it must be through an immediate family relationship.
A person may apply for a green card if a child, parent or sibling
is already an American Citizen. If the parent of a child (who is
a minor) is already an American citizen then the child is
automatically eligible for a green card.

Also within the broad category of family relationships failed
marriage to an existing American citizen. The American citizen
must also reside in the United States and there must be
sufficient proof to show that the marriage is legitimate.
However, in the case of the former example, through a sponsor
employer, the limit this year is 65,000 applicants.

Those who
believe they are eligible should seek advice right away.

About the Author:

Graham Arrowsmith is an Internet researcher and technologist who lives and works in London, UK. Graham has several sites on the subject of green cards [ http://www.green-cards.co.uk]