How Can I Get a Green Card in Arizona?

Some people can be eligible to file for themselves in some instances. Always seek the help of a Phoenix immigration attorney when you are unsure of how to proceed with your own green card application.

How to Apply for a Green Card in Arizona

To apply for a green card in Arizona, a person needs to be eligible under certain categories. The categories include:

• Green cards through family for immediate relatives of United States citizens (meaning spouses of United States citizens, unmarried children of United States citizens who are under 21 years of age, or parents at least 21 years of age of United States citizens), another relative of a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident under certain family-based preference categories (meaning family members of United States citizens such as unmarried sons or daughters of United States citizens who are 21 years of age or older, married sons or daughters of United States citizens, brothers or sisters of United States citizens at least 21 years of age, or family members of lawful permanent residents who are spouses of lawful permanent residents, unmarried children under 21 years of age of lawful permanent residents, or unmarried sons or daughters of lawful permanent residents who are 21 years of age or older), fiancé(e)s of United States citizens or fiancé(e)’s children (meaning people admitted to the United States as fiancé(e)s of United States citizens [also known as K-1 nonimmigrants] or people admitted to the United States as children of fiancé(e)s of United States citizens [also known as K-2 nonimmigrants]), widow(er)s of United States citizens (meaning widows or widowers of United States citizens who were married to United States citizen spouses at the time their spouses died), or Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) self-petitioner victims of battery or extreme cruelty (meaning abused spouses of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents, abused children [who are also unmarried and under 21 years of age] of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents, or abused parents of United States citizens).

• Green cards through employment for immigrant workers who are either first preference immigrant workers (meaning they have extraordinary ability in either business, the sciences, arts, education, or athletics, are outstanding professors or researchers, or are multinational managers or executives who satisfy certain criteria), second preference immigrant workers (meaning they are members of professions requiring advanced degrees, have exceptional abilities in the sciences, arts, or business, or are seeking national interest waivers), or third preference immigrant workers (meaning they are skilled workers [have jobs requiring a minimum of 2 years training or work experience], professionals [meaning their job requires at least a United States bachelor’s degree or the foreign equivalent who are a member of the profession], or unskilled workers [meaning they are willing to perform unskilled labor requiring less than two years of training or experience]), Physician National Interest Waiver    applicants who are physicians agreeing to work full-time in clinical practice in a designated underserved area for a set period of time and also satisfy other eligibility requirements, and immigrant investors who have invested or are actively in the process of investing at least $1,050,000 (or $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project) in a new commercial enterprise in the United States which will create full-time positions for at least 10 qualifying employees.

• Green cards as special immigrants such as religious workers who are members of religious denominations coming to the United States to work for nonprofit religious organizations, Special Immigrant Juveniles who are juveniles needing the protection of a juvenile court because they have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, Afghanistan or Iraq nationals who were Afghan or Iraqi translators or interpreters for the United States government, Iraqis employed by or for the United States government in Iraq on or after March 20, 2003, for at least one year, or Afghans employed by the United States government or International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), international broadcasters who are coming to work in the United States as members of the media for the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) or a USAGM grantee, or employees of international organizations or family members or NATO-6 employees or family members who are retired officers or employees of eligible international organizations or NATO, or are eligible family members of such employees.

• Green cards through refugee or asylee status if people were either granted asylum or admitted as a refugee at least one year ago.

• Green cards for victims of human trafficking and crime victims through T nonimmigrant visas and U nonimmigrant visas.

• Green cards for victims of abuse, such as VAWA self-petitioner victims of battery or extreme cruelty such as abused spouses of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents, unmarried abused children who are under 21 years of age of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents, or abused parents of United States citizens, Special Immigrant Juveniles who are children abused, abandoned, or neglected by parents and have SIJ status, abused (victims of battery or extreme cruelty) spouses or children under the Cuban Adjustment Act, meaning abused spouses or children of Cuban natives or citizens, abused (victims of battery or extreme cruelty) spouses or children under Haitian Refugee Immigrant Fairness Act (HRIFA), meaning abused spouses or children of lawful permanent residents who received their Green Card in Arizona based on HRIFA.

• Green cards for Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) for Liberian nationals who were continuously present in the United States since November 20, 2014, or are the spouses, children under age 21, or unmarried sons or daughters over the age of 21 of qualifying Liberian nationals.

• Green cards through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program for people selected for diversity visas in the Department of State’s diversity visa lottery.

• Green cards through the Cuban Adjustment Act for Cuban natives or citizens or spouses or children of Cuban natives or citizens.

• Green cards for abused (victims of battery or extreme cruelty) spouses or children under the Cuban Adjustment Act who are the abused spouses or children of Cuban natives or citizens.

• Green cards through the dependent status under the HRIFA for the spouses or children of lawful permanent residents who received their green cards based on the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (HRIFA).

• Green cards for abused (victims of battery or extreme cruelty) spouses or children under HRIFA who are abused spouses or children of lawful permanent residents who received their green cards based on HRIFA.

• Green cards for Lautenberg parolees who were paroled into the United States as Lautenberg parolees.

• Green cards through the Indochinese Parole Adjustment Act of 2000 for natives or citizens of Vietnam, Kampuchea (Cambodia), or Laos who were paroled into the United States on or before October 1, 1997, from Vietnam under the Orderly Departure Program, a refugee camp in East Asia, or a displaced person camp administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Thailand.

• Green cards for American Indians born in Canada who was born in Canada, possess at least 50 percent American Indian blood and maintain their principal residence in the United States.

• Green cards for people born in the United States to foreign diplomats born in the United States to foreign diplomatic officers who were stationed in the United States when they were born.

• Green cards through Section 13 (diplomat) for people stationed in the United States as foreign diplomats or high-ranking officials and are now unable to return home.

Also, keep in mind there is a green card registry. Registry relates to the section of immigration law allowing certain people who have been present in the United States since January 1, 1972, the ability to apply for a green card in Arizona even if they are currently in the United States unlawfully.

Filing Your N-400

Most green card applications are going to involve I-485, an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Other common forms in these cases may include

• Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
• Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker
• Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant
• Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur
• Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal
• Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition
• Form I-918, Petition of U Nonimmigrant Status
• Form I-929, Petition for Qualifying Family Member of a U-1 Nonimmigrant

A person who is already located in the United States will file for an adjustment of status with USCIS. When a person already has an approved immigrant petition and an immigrant visa is available, they will file Form I-485 with USCIS or if they do not currently have an approved immigrant petition, they must check the eligibility requirements for their green card category to see if they can file a petition and Form I‑485 together at the same time (also known as a concurrent filing).

Adjustment of status involves filing an immigrant petition or getting a sponsor to file a petition for you, checking visa availability, filing Form I-485, attending a biometrics services appointment at a local Application Support Center (ASC), going to an interview (when applicable), responding to all requests for additional evidence, and checking cast status before receiving a decision. When a person is outside the United States, they must proceed with consular processing with the United States Department of State.

Consular processing will involve filing an immigrant petition, waiting for a decision on the petition, waiting for notification from the National Visa Center (NVC), attending an appointment at the consular office, and then receiving the green card.

Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Consultation with a Phoenix Immigration Attorney

Are you trying to obtain a green card in Arizona? You will want to have Diamondback Legal on your side because we have helped scores of individuals all over the state complete the rigorous process inherent to green card applications and know how to help people successfully complete every step.

Our firm fully understands all of the challenges people can face in trying to get green cards, so we also know what the most effective ways are for dealing with any issues that may arise with USCIS. Call (602) 492-9437 or contact us online to get a free consultation with our Phoenix immigration lawyer.

Related Content: 9 Ways to Speed Up Your Immigration Case in Arizona