One of the most frequently asked questions concerning the United States green card revolve around the eligibility requirements. Most people think that the eligibility requirements for getting a green card are complicated yet they are very basic. However, make no mistake, the requirements are very strict. In order to get a green card, you must meet the following requirements.
First, you may choose to use the country of birth of your spouse or your parent as a claim for the green card application. In the same breadth, it should be noted that anyone may apply. Your gender, age or occupational status does not matter when applying for the green card.
While the current country you are staying in does not affect your green card application, the country of your birth has a notable impact. To be eligible for the green card, you must be born in a suitably eligible country. Every year, the State Department publishes a list of the eligible countries. So, be sure to check whether your country is included in the list before filing your application form. There are special circumstances where you can apply for the green card even though your country of birth is not an eligible country. For instance, if your spouse was born in an eligible country, you may use the Diversity Visa form to claim your spouse’s country of birth.
One of the overlooked requirements for green card eligibility is having a high school diploma. This is defined as a certificate or proof that you have successfully completed at least twelve years of both elementary and secondary education. The other alternative to meet this requirement is having about two years of work experience in a profession that requires at least two years of training. The work experience needs to have been done in the past five years prior to applying for the green card.
Worth noting is that green card lottery rules change from year to year. For instance, the rule whereby any country which has had 50000 immigrants in the past five years entering the United States through the Diversity Visa application makes that country ineligible for the lottery was not there a couple of years ago. As such, it is crucial to keep yourself updated as to the rules and eligibility requirements for the green card lottery program.