Whether prompted by the New American Dream, encouraged by family ties, or because of work reasons, over a million people are welcomed by the U.S. as legal permanent residents each year. But the road from moving to the United States to becoming a citizen of America can be long and challenging - and it starts with getting a green card. 

But what is the difference between a green card and citizenship? And what is the first step to take to become a U.S. citizen? Find an overview below - but don’t forget that partnering with a legal professional can truly make a difference in how you’ll live the journey ahead. 

What Is a Green Card?

Becoming a citizen of the United States can take over five years - but this doesn’t mean that you should give up on the American Dream! Getting a permanent resident card - informally known as a green card - makes you a lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the U.S. and grants you unrestricted residence and work authorization. 

While the process of getting a green card varies on a case-by-case basis, all green cardholders can enjoy similar benefits, including:

  • It allows you to legally live and work in the U.S. for an unlimited amount of time
  • It helps you enter and travel through the USA without a visa
  • After five years as a green card holder, you can access Medicare and other government help. 
  • Close relatives of a green card holder will also be eligible for a green card
  • It allows you to access student loans options and benefit from up to 80% cost reduction of university fees compared to non-green-card holders
  • Green card holders can enjoy a straightforward business setting-up process

After owning your green card for five years, you will be able to apply for citizenship. 

How To Get a Green Card

When looking at the application process to get a green card, the journey ahead can appear long and complicated. However, as 13.9 million card holders currently living in the USA demonstrate, getting a permanent residency permit is possible! Here are some of the alternatives worth considering. 

Getting Your Green Card Through Investment in Business

If you are looking to become a business founder or owner, the best and most straightforward way to become an LPR in America is through significant business investment. 

While the EB-5 investment visa belongs to the category of employment-based visas, you won’t need to show exceptional abilities, fit within strict quotas, or be sponsored by an employer. 

Known as a “Job Creation Visa,” applying for an EB-5 investment visa helps get your green card by making a minimum business investment of $1.8 million (or $900,000 in Targeted Employment Areas). 

If you can prove that your business venture will create at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying employees and will benefit the U.S. economy as a whole, you will be granted a green card. 

Submitting an Employment-Based Application

Employment-sponsored petitions are the second most common pathway to becoming an LPR. If you wish to leverage this channel, you will need your employer to petition for your permanent residency. 

While the government is making a large number of employment-based green cards available, the competition can be high and the process highly bureaucratic. 

When applying for this visa, you will be required to produce your advanced degree and prove exceptional professional skills or abilities.

Getting a Green Card Through Family Relatives

If you are a relative or immediate relative of a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, you can apply for a family-based green card. Your relative will be required to file a petition on your behalf, thus submitting a request for you to obtain a green card. 

The easiest way to obtain this green card is if you are the parent, spouse, or child of a U.S. citizen. However, there are also five Family-Sponsored (F) Preferences that allow your close but not immediate relatives to petition for your green card application.

Registering for the Diversity Visa Program

The lottery-like Diversity Visa Program is designed to encourage 55,000 foreign nationals to move to the US. While this program can be a golden ticket to access citizenship in the US, it comes with strict eligibility criteria, including:

  • Applicants must be from countries with a low number of U.S. green card holders
  • Applicants must meet minimum education and financial requirements 
  • Applicants shouldn’t have a clean criminal record

What Is USA Citizenship?

At its core, being a citizen of the United States means that you will have this country’s nationality. While citizenship isn’t a privilege but a right, the process of becoming a U.S. citizen can last five years or longer. 

As an immigrant, you can obtain citizenship either by naturalization or acquisition:

  • Acquisition - if one or both of your parents is an American citizen, you can acquire their nationality at birth or before your 18th birthday
  • Naturalization - A lawful permanent resident (LPR) can become a naturalized citizen of the U.S. if they meet the requirements set by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)

Generally, you’ll be able to apply for citizenship if you are a lawful permanent resident of 5 years, or if you are the spouse or child of a U.S. citizen. Professionals serving in the U.S. Military might also apply for citizenship.

How Do You Become a USA Citizen?

Moving to another country can be one of the best experiences you’ll ever have. And yet, from arriving in the U.S. as a lawful immigrant to becoming a citizen of America, the journey can be long and complicated.

The most straightforward way to become a USA citizen is through your green card. 

If you have been a lawful permanent resident for five years or longer, are able to prove that your primary residence is in the U.S., and you have been physically present in the country for at least 30 months (2.5 years) in the past 5 years, you have the right to apply for citizenship. If you are married to a U.S. citizen, you will be able to apply after 3 years as a green card holder. 

All you will need to do is fill in Form N-400, Application for Naturalization online, upload the necessary evidence and pay the associated fees. Once everything is submitted, there’s nothing left to do aside from waiting and tracking your case. Keep in mind that the average processing process is around 8 months!