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Green CardsA Lawful Permanent Resident can apply for United States citizenship, or naturalization, after five years of residency. This period is shortened to three years if married to a U.S. citizen, or four years if permanent residency was received through political asylum. Lawful Permanent Residents may submit their applications for naturalization as much as 90 days before meeting the residency requirement. Citizens are entitled to morerights (and obligations) than permanent residents (who are still classified as aliens in this respect). Lawful Permanent Residents generally do not have the right to vote, the right to be elected in federal and state elections, the ability to bring family members to the United States (however permanent residents are allowed to sponsor certain family members), or eligibility for certain federal government jobs. Male permanent residents between the ages of 18 and 26 are subject to registering in the Selective Service System. Permanent residents pay taxes on their worldwide income, like U.S. citizens. Certain conditions that may put a permanent resident in deportation proceedings do not apply to U.S. citizens. Taking advantage of the Green Card Lottery program is perhaps the best way to get into America. After all, this is America’s way of giving people equal chances to become permanent residents of the United States. However, because of the complex and somewhat difficult process involved in acquiring a Green Card, many people are easily confounded with the procedures involved with getting a visa. And this results to misconceptions about Green Card lottery. Obviously, it is best to know what these misconceptions are, since many scrupulous individuals use the ignorance of people to their advantage. Here are some misconceptions about the Green Card lottery—properly known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa—and the truths behind them.
Everyone can qualify—Majority can qualify for the Green Card lottery; except for natives of certain countries. As of now, these countries include Mainland China, Brazil, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Korea, United Kingdom, and Vietnam, among others. Natives of these countries can still apply for permanent residence, although in different programs and qualifications; their inclusion in the list does not mean they are banned from residing in the country. However, these countries have high rates of American immigration. The Green Card lottery program is reserved for natives of countries with low rates of immigration to the United States, perhaps a ways of encouraging immigration through the proper means. And as its proper name implies, this process makes sure that the immigrants in the American are not limited to the countries that are not qualified for the Diversity Immigrant Visa program.
Winning the lottery instantly awards one a visa—In case an immigrant wins in the Green Card lottery, he or she isn’t automatically awarded a visa. As the guidelines for the Diversity Immigrant Visa say, winning the lottery gives one the chance to get a Green Card—the winner would still have to submit numerous forms and documents that should approved by the American government before the Green Card will be awarded. The lottery merely gives the immigrant a chance, but one still has to pass the requirements of the US government in order to be allowed to legally reside in America.
The Green Card lottery would cost money—Assistance for Green Card lottery application would require payment, but the actual application and submission for the lottery itself are free of charge. Again, remember that the Green Card lottery itself does not guarantee that one would receive a visa even if he or she wins one of the 55,000 possible visas. In line with this, assistance for Green Card lottery isn’t illegal, although there are a number of fraudulent parties who use this as an excuse to trick people. Others require help with their applications because Green Card lottery is admittedly a complex procedure, and anyone not used to Green Card applications could use all the help they can get.
Although the Green Card application is free of charge, it is still best know about its basics. Read the guidelines of Green Card lottery or get assistance when absolutely necessary.
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