What are the different pathways to US residency?

In the United States, there are several pathways an individual can take to obtain permanent residency, also known as a Green Card. The first pathway to obtain US residency is through employment. Employers may sponsor foreign citizens to come to the US on a temporary basis for a specific job. This can include things like H-1B visas for professionals, H-2A visas for agricultural workers, and H-2B visas for other kinds of workers. The employer will then have to file paperwork to attempt to obtain a Green Card for the foreign citizen, which can take three to six months or longer. The second pathway to obtain US residency is through family-based immigration. This occurs when a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, such as a parent, spouse, or child, sponsors an immediate family member for a Green Card. This can include visas such as an immigrant visa for a spouse, parent, or unmarried child under 21 of a US citizen, or an I-130 petition for a family member of a lawful permanent resident. The third pathway to obtaining US residency is through the Diversity Visa Lottery. This is a lottery program where eligible individuals from certain countries can apply for permanent residency in the US. This program is open to individuals from countries that have a low rate of immigration to the US. To be eligible for this route, the individual must meet education and/or work experience requirements, among other qualifications. Finally, individuals can also obtain a Green Card through the refugee or asylum status. This occurs when a foreign national is fleeing persecution in their home country and are accepted as a refugee or granted asylum in the US. These individuals can then apply for a green card to stay in the US permanently. Overall, these are the main pathways to obtaining permanent residency in the US. Each route has its own set of requirements and can take several months to process. It is important to research each route thoroughly before starting the process.

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Hay varias formas en las que se puede obtener la residencia permanente en los Estados Unidos. La forma más común es la categoría de "inmigrante familiar". Esta categoría está diseñada para aquellos cuyos parientes cercanos son ciudadanos o residentes permanentes de los Estados Unidos. Los parientes cercanos aceptables son el cónyuge, los padres, los hijos, los hermanos y los padres de los ciudadanos estadounidenses. Otra forma común de obtener la residencia permanente es a través de la categoría de "inmigrante laboral". Esta categoría está diseñada para aquellos que tienen una oferta de trabajo en los Estados Unidos. El empleador debe solicitar una visa laboral para el solicitante y, una vez que se apruebe la visa, el solicitante puede aplicar para la residencia permanente. Otra forma de obtener la residencia permanente es mediante la categoría de "inmigrante por patrocinio de empleador". Esta categoría está diseñada para aquellos que no tienen familiares cercanos en los Estados Unidos, pero tienen un empleador patrocinador que explicará al gobierno por qué el solicitante es una persona adecuada para residir en los Estados Unidos. Finalmente, hay algunas organizaciones sin fines de lucro que patrocinan a extranjeros para residir en los Estados Unidos. Estas organizaciones pueden presentar una solicitud de visado humanitario para aquellos que se encuentran en situaciones desesperadas para obtener la residencia permanente. Estas aplicaciones a veces necesitan una cantidad significativa de documentación para demostrar que el solicitante cumple con los requisitos.

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