Special Immigrant Green Cards

This page gives you an overview about special immigrant green cards, explains who qualifies for special immigrant visas and the application process to obtain permanent residence as a special immigrant.

Facts at a glance:

Nowadays there are different ways to obtain a green card:

• Green card through marriage;
• Green card through relatives;
• Green card from employment to an US company;
• Green card through investment;
• Green card through diversity immigrant visa program;
• Green card through adoption; and
• Special immigrant green cards.

Recently, the US Government has passed laws to issue green cards to people in special circumstances. These special people belong to a special category called special immigrants. Every year, the United States allots up to 10,000 green cards to immigrant in special situations. Special immigrant green cards give you the right to legally live and work anywhere in the U.S. Green cards for special immigrant belong to employment-based preference category (EB-4) reserved for special immigrants.

Special immigrant green cards are available only if the applicant is a:

• Worker for recognized religious organizations; religious minister, nun, priest, rabbi, monk, religious instructor, worker in a religious health care facility falls under this category;
• Medical graduate who have been practicing medicine in the United States for many years;
• Former employee of the Panama Canal Zone;
• Foreign worker who were long-time employees of the United States government;
• Former employee of U.S. armed forces;
• Retired employee of International Organizations - the employee should have resided in the U.S. for at least 15 years prior to the retirement on a G-4 or N visa (his/her family members are also eligible for green card);
• A foreign national who has been declared dependent in a juvenile court located in the U.S.;
• Retired civilian on NATO-6 visa;
• Employee of International Broadcasting Bureau (his/her family members are also eligible for green card);
• Special agricultural worker - a foreign agricultural worker who participated in agricultural field labor for at least 90 days between May 1, 1985 and May 1, 1986;
• Returning permanent resident - a permanent resident who left the U.S. for more than twelve months, but have left with the intention of returning;
• Asylum seeker - a foreign national in the U.S. who is unable to return to the home country because of the fear of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality or membership in a particular social or political group;
• Refugee - a foreign national displaced by war, persecution, terrorism, famines and natural disaster.

Please call us at (918) 258-6092 for more information regarding the eligibility requirements for special immigrant green card.

The application process to obtain permanent residence as a Special Immigrant is a multi step process.

• Filing the petition; and
• Submit the application for yourself and for your family members.