Green Card for International Students:

Job Sponsorship, Marriage, Asylum, Green Card lottery, Military Service, Sponsorship by parent or child, Sponsorship by Business owning ralative, National Interest waiver and more.

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Most international students leave their home country to study and pursue their dreams in a foreign country. However, it is very difficult to attain legal status in a foreign country to work and access the many privileges that citizens have.

A lot of people have tried but failed to gain legal status in foreign countries leaving them in the difficult position of being illegal immigrants. This is a terrible situation that leaves you unable to work and at the risk of being arrested and deported at all times.

Holding a Green card in the US is a great thing. You get all the rights and privileges of citizens except voting or running for public office. With a Green card, you can work at any place, get college financial aid, scholarships and can live in the country indefinitely as long as you are a law abiding person. Committing some felony crimes can get you deported even if you have a Green card.

As an International Student however, you have one very big advantage in that you came into the country legally and hence are able to adjust your status to Green card holder through a number of ways. Currently, people who enter the US illegally are ineligible to get a Green card by any means.

Below are some ways an International Student can get a green card in the U.S.

Job Sponsorship.

If you are lucky to finish college, you may get a job and your company may sponsor you for a Green card. This is difficult especially if there are economic difficulties in the country and citizens are also looking for jobs. However, it's not impossible. The company has to fill in immigration forms explaining why they want to hire a foreigner and show that they cannot find an equally qualified American citizen to fill that job. If there are many Americans qualified and willing to do that job, you will not get the visa. However, if you have specialized skills in high demand areas, and there are not many Americans with that kind of specialization, you have a big chance of getting approved for Green card. The skills in demand vary from time to time but if you are specialized in certain Scientific and Engineering & Health disciplines, there is a high likelihood of getting a Green card through job Sponsorship.

It may be easier for your company to sponsor you if they apply for the "National Interest Waiver". This is where they demonstrate that your employment will contribute to the National interest of the United States. Such cases are considered on an individual basis but past successful candidates have demonstrated that their admission will improve the US economy, improve wages and working conditions for US workers, improve education, housing, health or national security.

Asylum.

If you are in the US as an international Student and there is civil war or political upheavals in your home country that would risk your life to return, you may be eligible for political asylum. There are different laws governing asylum seekers and many criteria that one has to meet. Before applying for asylum, you must consult an immigration lawyer to advise if you are eligible.

Many people have applied and found themselves ineligible for asylum and later have difficulties getting Green card. This is because the immigration department now knows your intent to become an immigrant. Always remember that you came here as a Student with the understanding that you will return to your home country after college.

Another word of caution about immigration lawyers, please spend some money and hire a reputable lawyer who will not mess up your case.

Getting Married to US citizen or permanent Resident.

The easiest way to get a green card is to marry a US citizen. Your spouse will then sponsor you for Green card as a family member. While this is an easy method if done right, it carries a lot of dangers.

The rule of thumb is to ensure you have a real marriage. Get married for love with the intention to stay together as a family and not just for green card. While filing your Green card papers, you'll be required to show that you have a real marriage.

Some things you may be asked to prove are: if you live together, how you met, if you know intimate details about each other, if you have children, if the US citizen's family knows about the foreign spouse and many other things to prove that you are married for real. While many American parents are wary of their children marrying foreigners because of the Green card issue, if you show them that you really love their son or daughter, most parents are very cooperative.

If your application is successful, you will get a Two year temporary green card. After two years, you will then get a permanent Green Card if you are still married. This two year period is to ensure that your marriage was real. If your marriage fails before the two year period, you have to show that you were truly married but things just did not work out, otherwise you may not get your permanent Green Card. In all cases while dealing with immigration issues, consult a reputable lawyer.The same thing applies if you marry a green card holder. However, if the Green card holder got his or her green card through marriage, they cannot sponsor you until they become citizens.