How to Get Legal Immigration Status

How to Get Legal Immigration Status

The consideration given to your presence in a country is your immigration status. If you are authorized to live in a country you have legal immigration status in that nation. However, you become an undocumented immigrant if you do not have the authorization to stay in a country. In such a situation, you will be deported to your country of origin.

What Is Your Immigration Status?

People can live in other countries that are not their country of origin. Whether you live in your fatherland or a foreign country, your presence in that location can be any of the following statuses.

Citizens

Anyone who pledges allegiance to a country and is granted undeniable rights by that nation’s constitution is its citizen. You can acquire citizenship as a birthright or through the process of naturalization. Someone who is born in a country or its territory is regarded as a citizen of that nation.

You can become a citizen of a country that is not where you were born through naturalization. However, you have to satisfy specific criteria during the process of naturalization before you can be considered as a citizen of that country. If you want to naturalize as a U.S citizen, you have to meet the following requirements.

• At the time you file the naturalization application, you should be at least 18 years.
• Have a good moral character
• Must have been a legal permanent resident for years (five or three years depending on the category of naturalization you applied).
• Speak, read, and write simple English
• Show loyalty to the U.S Constitution’s principles
• Willingness to take the Oath of Allegiance,
• Show understanding and knowledge of U.S history and the nation’s government.

Residents

You are a lawful permanent resident if you are granted the right to live indefinitely in a country. In the United States, residents are given a green card as proof of legal immigration status. As a result, they are regarded as “Green Card Holders.” You have to obtain a green card if you meet the criteria for the following categories to be qualified for residency.

• Employer petitions
• Family petitions
• Special immigrants
• Victims of abuse
• Crime and human trafficking victims

Refugee or asylee statusYou can also obtain a green card through a registry or any other category determined by the U.S government. If you are eligible to become a permanent resident, apply for it. You will be required to pay a fee and undergo medical checks. Besides, there are other biometric processes you have to go through. Once you satisfy the requirements, you will be issued a green card.

Non-Immigrants

An individual who has been granted temporary permission to live in a country for a specific duration and purpose is a non-immigrant. People with student visas, temporary worker visas, visitor visas, and other visa categories are non-immigrants. The visa is proof of legal immigration status during the specified period.

Besides, the U.S grants “Temporary Protected Status” to nationals from countries experiencing challenges such as civil strife or natural disasters. Such individuals will return to their countries when it is safe to do so.

Undocumented Immigrants

Individuals who overstayed their visas or entered a country illegally are under this category. They have no paperwork as proof of their legal presence in the country. If arrested, such individuals will be deported. Family Immigration and naturalization service help undocumented immigrants to obtain legal immigration status.

If you qualify for any of the paths for obtaining a green card, a lawyer will help you to obtain legal status. The process won’t be complicated if you have a spouse, a child under 21 years of age, or a parent who is a U.S citizen.