Some of the best opportunities and adventures can be had in the United States, but immigration and traveling here is now more difficult than ever. And perhaps for the logical reason of keeping dangerous people out of the country. Unfortunately, this makes it more difficult for regular visitors, immigrants,and those who want to be naturalized to travel to the U.S.

So when can the United States keep you from visiting? How can your visa, green card, or U.S. entry be denied? For most, it’s completely open for you to visit here. There are some details you need to know, and this guide gives them.

Major Grounds for Inadmissibility
For everyone’s protection, if you have a history of criminal or terrorist affiliations, you can be denied entry. Also, people with drug abuse  problems, medical problems such as communicable diseases (AIDS, for example), can be denied entry. In some cases, there are wavers available for being allowed in.

The main reasons you could be denied include:
-If you have communicable diseases (waivers available)
-If you have physical or mental disorders (waivers available)
-If you abuse drugs, are an addict, or are involved in drug trafficking (no waivers available)
-Prostitutes and people convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude can be denied
-If you are a terrorist, spy, or Nazi (and other serious risks to U.S. security, no waivers)
-If you have multiple crime convictions (waivers available)
-If you are likely to become dependent on welfare

Of those, some may have you confused. First, “mortal turpitude” is defined as how you treat fellow people or society in a vile and base way. There are other considerations where you can be denied a visit to the United States as an immigrant, and this is where an immigration lawyer can help.

You Can’t Get In? U.S. Immigration Laws
If you are considered inadmissible for the above reasons or for others, that’s typically the U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security’s decision. You will often be dealing with the USCIS, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration  Services. The USCIS can deny you a visa or approve you for immigration.

If you have a green card (permanent resident status), you also could be deemed inadmissible. For example, you might stay in the U.S. for more than 180 days and be involved in a crime. In this case, you could be denied.

Getting Help with an Immigration Lawyer
There are a variety of ways to get around these laws, but it’s part of a complex system. If you have a green card, it’s often wise to apply for U.S. Citizenship as soon as possible. If you have a criminal history or something else which you believe you hurt your admission into the country, an immigration lawyer can help you not only get a green card but also get you U.S. citizenship.

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.

Just what is a Green Card anyway? A Green Card is an identification card attesting to the permanent resident status of an alien in the United States of America. It can also refer to the immigration process of becoming a permanent resident.

The Green Card serves as proof that its holder, a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), has been officially granted immigration benefits, which include permission to reside and take employment in the USA. The holder must maintain permanent resident status, and can be removed from the US if certain conditions of this status are not met. Green Cards use to be issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), but after 911 and the forming of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the INS was absorbed into the DHS. Under the administration of the DHS, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is the bureaucracy now responsible for issuing Green Cards.

Some facts about Green Cards we all should know:

• When an alien (foreigner) holds a legal Green Card, it entitles him or her to two very important permits while in the United States- a temporary work permit formally called an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and a temporary travel document, advance parole, which allows the alien to re-enter the United States. Both permits confer benefits that are independent of any existing status granted to the alien.
• Being an LPR is not the same as being a citizen of the United States. Lawful Permanent Residents generally do not have the right to vote, the right to be elected in federal and state elections, the ability to bring family members to the United States, or eligibility for federal government jobs.
• The term “permanent” as used in LPR is probably more closely associated with the term indefinite. The Green Card has to be renewed every 10 years and continued residency is conditional. The issuance of the card to an alien will allow the alien to remain in the United States indefinitely if the card is renewed on time and he or she abides by the conditions set forth at the issuance of the card.
• An LPR can elect to become a naturalized citizen of the United States after five years residency.
• An LPR can elect to become a naturalized citizen of the United States after three years residency if married to a citizen of the United States.
• An LPR can elect to become a naturalized citizen of the United States after four years residency if residency was received through political asylum.
• Male LPRs between the ages of 18 and 26 are subject to register for the Selective Service System.
• Green Cards got there name because the cards were originally green in color. Today, the cards look similar to most driver’s license having the picture, thumb print, and other identification of the LPR along with the United States Seal. They are no longer green in color.
• Permanent residents who reside in the US must pay taxes on their worldwide income, like U.S. citizens.

What has been the Green Cards impact on Tucson, Arizona? Arizona has over 6.5 million residents today of which, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 13 percent of them are foreign born. Since 2000, it is estimated there has been an increase of around five percent in foreign born residency. Tucson, Arizona has a population of over one million residents in its metropolitan area. Applying the state percentages of foreign born residents and taking into consideration that it takes at least five years before an LPR can become a citizen, there could be well over 65 thousand Green Card holders in the Tucson area alone. Since there is approximately 377 thousand jobs available in the Tucson area, the implication is that at least 17 percent of those jobs are held by Lawful Permanent Residents. (Note: These statistics have been taken from Government census charts and are approximations intended for generalizations. They are not intended to be used as detailed and exact data for research)

If you know someone who is seeking permanent lawful status, to immigrate, or become a citizen of the United States, contact us right now at www.immigrationlawstation.com, and we will help you find an immigration attorney in your area who will answer any legal questions you may have about immigration law.

Just what is a Green Card anyway? A Green Card is an identification card attesting to the permanent resident status of an alien in the United States of America. It can also refer to the immigration process of becoming a permanent resident. The Green Card serves as proof that its holder, a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), has been officially granted immigration benefits, which include permission to reside and take employment in the USA.

The holder must maintain permanent resident status, and can be removed from the US if certain conditions of this status are not met. Green Cards use to be issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), but after 911 and the forming of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the INS was absorbed into the DHS. Under the administration of the DHS, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is the bureaucracy now responsible for issuing Green Cards.

Some facts about Green Cards we all should know:

• When an alien (foreigner) holds a legal Green Card, it entitles him or her to two very important permits while in the United States- a temporary work permit formally called an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and a temporary travel document, advance parole, which allows the alien to re-enter the United States. Both permits confer benefits that are independent of any existing status granted to the alien.

• Being an LPR is not the same as being a citizen of the United States. Lawful Permanent Residents generally do not have the right to vote, the right to be elected in federal and state elections, the ability to bring family members to the United States, or eligibility for federal government jobs.

• The term “permanent” as used in LPR is probably more closely associated with the term indefinite. The Green Card has to be renewed every 10 years and continued residency is conditional. The issuance of the card to an alien will allow the alien to remain in the United States indefinitely if the card is renewed on time and he or she abides by the conditions set forth at the issuance of the card.

• An LPR can elect to become a naturalized citizen of the United States after five years residency.

• An LPR can elect to become a naturalized citizen of the United States after three years residency if married to a citizen of the United States.

• An LPR can elect to become a naturalized citizen of the United States after four years residency if residency was received through political asylum.

• Male LPRs between the ages of 18 and 26 are subject to register for the Selective Service System.

• Green Cards got there name because the cards were originally green in color. Today, the cards look similar to most driver’s license having the picture, thumb print, and other identification of the LPR along with the United States Seal. They are no longer green in color.

• Permanent residents who reside in the US must pay taxes on their worldwide income, like U.S. citizens.

What has been the Green Cards impact on Miami, Florida? Florida has over 18 million residents today of which, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 20 percent of them are foreign born. Since 2000, it is estimated there has been an increase of around 40% in foreign born residency. Miami, Florida has a population of over two million residents. Applying the state percentages of foreign born residents and taking into consideration that it takes at least five years before an LPR can become a citizen, there could be well over one hundred thousand Green Card holders in the Miami area alone. Since there is just over one million jobs in the Miami area, the implication is that at least ten percent of those jobs are held by Lawful Permanent Residents. (Note: These statistics have been taken from Government census charts and are approximations intended for generalizations. They are not intended to be used as detailed and exact data for research)

If you know someone who is seeking permanent lawful status, to immigrate, or become a citizen of the United States, contact us right now at www.immigrationlawstation.com, and we will help you find an immigration attorney in your area who will answer any legal questions you may have about immigration law.