The best way to get a green card is to voice intentions of marrying a US citizen or if you’re already married to a US citizen. To get a green card via family, you must be an immediate relative of a US citizen.

Say for example you are visiting your love in New York. You love it in New York, stay longer than you intended, and decide to stay here and apply for citizenship. You must prove you intend to marry this person, this person must be a US citizen, be legally able to marry, and have visited this person in the US within the last two years.

It does get complicated, but it’s really the best way to get sponsored for a green card and live in the US.

Let’s go over in more detail how to gain US citizenship and a green card while currently in the US or any other country.

How You Apply for a Green Card in the  United States
You are immediately not eligible for a green card if you visited the US legally and stayed past your intended date (which is on your I-94 card). There are exemptions which a professional immigration lawyer can help you with, namely being if you’re an immediate relative of a US citizen, and applying because of that.

If you visited New York but entered the country illegally somehow, you may actually face deportation. You should consult a New York immigration lawyer who can help you immediately, or hire one in any state you visit.

Applying for a Green Card From Outside the United States
If you’re living in Great Britain and want to apply for citizenship, you first apply for a Visa. Once accepted, the National Visa Center will begin sending you letters. The NVC will then help you handle immigrating from Great Britain  to the US through the US embassies there.

Your US immigration process is not over yet. The local consulate will set up an interview with you for your green card. They will tell you to get a medical exam and photos. You’ll then have to meet with them and hand over some documents, including your passport, birth and marriage certificated, and even police certificates. There are various other documents they typically ask you to bring too.

You’ll then make an appointment and wait for a consular officer to meet with you at the consulate. They will review your documents and talk with you. It’s then over for many people, as you’ll be accepted, have your passport stamped, given a US visa to be used within six months so you can claim permanent resident status, and get your green card a few weeks or months later by mail.

Problems with Your Green Card
There are many cases where you might have trouble not only getting all the documents but being able to get a green card so you can live in the US. If you want to live in New York, for example, you may want to meet with a professional New York immigration attorney who can help you. This costs a fee, but few people can afford to do everything by themselves, as it can be a complex, time consuming, and often taxing experience.