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Can I work in the U.S. without a green card?

You can work in the U.S. without a green card only if you have a non-immigrant visa such as an H, L, or O visa or an employment authorization card (EAC). Alternatively, employers may file petitions for labor certification upon meeting certain requirements, such as the ability to pay the proffered wage. Foreign exchange students holding F, J, or M visas must seek permission to work from their school’s foreign exchange advisors to unless their visa explicitly provides otherwise.

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I am a U.S. citizen engaged to a foreigner. How can I bring him/her to the U.S.?

If you are a U.S. citizen who is engaged to a foreigner, you can file a K-1 fiancée petition with the USCIS in order to bring your fiancée into the United States legally. In the petition, you, as a U.S. citizen, must document that you and your fiancée have met in person within the prior two years. The regulations regarding the K-1 fiancée petition, i.e. the need to prove when you last saw your fiancée in person and when the wedding will take place.

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Green Card Benefits and Responsibilities

Most people refer to the process of obtaining permanent residency status as getting their green card. The green card is a card that is issued as proof that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has granted approval for you to be in the United States as a permanent resident. It is called a green card because prior to 1978, the residency cards that were issued had a greenish color. A green card is evidence that you have been approved for permanent residency status.

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Flaws in Family-Based Immigration Laws Causing Prolonged Separations

The Legal Immigration Family Equity Act, or the LIFE Act, established a new non-immigrant category, or V-visa, within family immigration law that allowed the spouse or child of a U.S. lawful permanent resident (LPR) to live and work in the United States in a non-immigrant category. The spouse or child could remain in the United States while they waited until they were able to apply for lawful permanent residence status (also known as adjusting status), or for an immigrant visa.

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