Jacksonville Green Card Attorneys

Making the Green Card Process Stress-Free

Do you want to stay in the United States for the foreseeable future and maybe even the rest of your life? Usual immigration tools and visas won’t do. You will need a Green Card or permanent alien registration card, which makes you a legal permanent resident (LPR).

Becoming an LPR comes with various immigration benefits, so it is important to know that you are going through the Green Card process correctly and as quickly as possible. Teaming up with our Jacksonville Green Card lawyers from Maney | Gordon | Zeller, P.A. is an easy way to remove doubt and confusion from your Green Card process! We are proud to be known as a local firm that can remove frustration and anxiety from any immigration case.

To learn more about Green Cards, call (904) 530-5771 now.

How Long Does a Green Card Last?

A Green Card allows you to stay in the United States for two years once it is obtained, assuming you meet all immigration status conditions. For example, you will need to remain in good standing with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or not be charged with or convicted of any crimes to maintain Green Card eligibility. When your Green Card expires after 24 months, you can file for a permanent residence visa, which lasts 10 years. Again, if you remain eligible for a Green Card, then you can renew the permanent residence visa every 10 years.

Are You Green Card Eligible?

Legal permanent residents with Green Cards can work and live in the United States, as well as exit and enter it as needed. Due to the valuable benefits granted by a Green Card, the immigration tool is limited only to people who qualify to use it.

You could be eligible to obtain a Green Card if:

• You have an immediate relative – usually spouses and children – who is a U.S. citizen already living in the country. Green Cards for immediate relatives are not capped on an annual basis, and such Green Card applicants are prioritized by USCIS.
• You have a close family member living in the U.S. as a citizen or LPR. Green Cards for close family members are not prioritized, so your chances of obtaining one compared to an immediate relative applicant could be lower.
• You have a pending job offer in the U.S. from an employer who wants to hire you for your extraordinary talents. Currently, USCIS will only approve 140,000 Green Cards for each year for applicants looking to enter for employment reasons.
• You win the Green Card Lottery. Countries with a comparatively low number of immigrants in the last year can be sent “Green Card Lottery” tickets, which allow people in good legal standing to obtain a Green Card without meeting the previously mentioned requirements.

Lastly, in extremely rare cases, Green Cards can be granted to people in unusual circumstances and often if they would be in physical danger if they were unable to enter the country. For example, some people seeking asylum can obtain a Green Card rather than going through the typical asylum-based immigration channels. Our Jacksonville Green Card attorneys can evaluate your situation and let you know if you might be eligible for a Green Card based on unusual situations.

Is a Green Card the Same as a Visa?

Visas and Green Cards are often confused with one another. What are the differences between them?

A visa can be an immigrant visa or a nonimmigrant visa. Immigrant visas are a typical first step in becoming a permanent resident in the U.S. A nonimmigrant visa allows a temporary stay in the country, such as for work, education, or tourism.

A Green Card is a photo ID that is sent to someone once they are approved to be a lawful permanent resident by USCIS. When people refer to Green Cards, they might sometimes be thinking of immigrant visas that allowed for LPR status. When people mention a visa, they are often thinking of temporary nonimmigrant visas.

Obtain a Green Card with Our Help

Maney | Gordon | Zeller, P.A. and our Jacksonville Green Card lawyers are here to guide you through your immigration process from start to finish. Even if you need to handle various other immigration questions and applications beyond just those related to Green Cards, we can assist you with more than 40 years of practice history and more than 100 years of collective legal experience among all of our attorneys.

Contact our firm right away if you have any questions about Green Cards.