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Lawful Permanent Residence
Sohaib I. Awan is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia
 Law permanent residents, or "green card holders", are those individuals who have been given the privilege of permanently residing in the United States. There are four common means of obtaining lawful permanent residence. Such individuals are also known as legal permanent residents.
Adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence is the process by which foreign nationals who are physically present in the U.S. become lawful/legal permanent residents. Adjustment of status is available to most aliens lawfully present in the U.S. Such individuals must be present in the U.S. at the time their permanent residence petitions are approved and must never have been out of status.
There are four primary methods by which one can obtain lawful permanent residence:
- Family-Sponsored Petitions
The largest category of permanent residence petitions, immigration law allows U.S. citizens and permanent residents to sponsor relatives for legal/lawful permanent residence in the United States. These petitions include petitions for immediate relatives, widows, fiancées, and various others in designated preference categories established by U.S. immigration law.
- Employment-Based Petitions
The second-largest category of permanent residence petitions, immigration law provides for several employment-based immigrant visa categories. Based on a three-tier system, Congress has designated particular employment-based groups to which it gives preference in emigrating to the United States. (See Employment Visas).
- Diversity Immigration
The Diversity Immigration Program, also referred to as the "Visa Lottery", makes 55,000 permanent resident visas available per year to people from countries with low rates of immigration.
- Asylees and Refugees
Immigration law establishes procedures for applying for asylum in the United States. In general, a person granted asylum or refugee status may apply for lawful permanent residence after one year. Though it may take a number of years to actually receive, a green card may be acquired by those granted asylee or refugee status. (See Asylum and Refugee Status).
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