United States Immigration

Majorly situated in central North America, USA is the most desired destination for everyone who wishes to migrate for the betterment of life. Since ages the country has attracts people to settle down as the history of the country is of immigration and diversity.

More than 50 millions people across the globe have settled in the country as the country accepts 700,000 people every year. US is known as s melting pot with diversified, multi-culturism because of the majority of immigrant population.

The state has its large size as well as variety of climates, variety of people, mixed economy. The country is having a strong economy to fight with all odds of economic slowdown. US is also known for its enthusiastic, workaholic as well as fun loving people.

USA Green Card

United States of America or USA is undoubtedly one of the best economies of the world with excellent education system, state-of-the-art business infrastructure, exuberant tourism activities and high standards of living. If you are planning to make the USA your permanent residence, you must first attain a US Green Card.

US EB-5 Program
Since its introduction in 1990, the United States Employment Based (Category) 5 Program, popularly known as the US EB-5 Program, offers an exclusive category of immigration Visa for foreign High Net worth investors. The program was initiated with the aim of strengthening the US Economy by creating new jobs and investment of foreign investors. The EB 5 Visa, based on a qualifying US investment, approves an applicant for a Green Card before immigration to the country. It does not require the individual to manage the day-to-day affairs of a business. The applicant is required to invest US $1 Million in general or US $ 500,000 in a Regional Center Project approved by the US CIS based on proposals for promoting economic growth.

What is a Regional Center?
Regional Center is an entity, organization or agency that has been approved as such by the US CIS. Regional Centers are eligible to receive immigrant investor capital of US $ 500,000. Regional Center investors could directly or indirectly create job positions by hiring 10 employees. It focuses on a specific geographic area within the United States & Exceeds the National average unemployment rate. It seeks to promote economic growth to increase export Productivity, creations of new jobs and increased domestic capital investment.

BENEFITS OF USING REGIONAL CENTER PROJECTS:

No day-to-day management required.
The 10 jobs created from the investment can be direct or indirect.
The investor can live and work anywhere in the U.S.
The investor can be a professional, a business person or even a retiree.

Eligibility

Invest US $ 500,000 in a Government approved Regional Center.
Source of Investment should be legal.
No requirement of prior business experience.
No requirement of Education.
No age bar.
Knowledge of English Language is not necessary.
The Applicant should be in Good Health.

USA Student Visa

US Universities, Colleges and Schools have always earned very high ranking in the world-class education rankings. This is just one of the reasons to study in the US. Institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, Julliard, Berkeley School of Music, West Point, are all world famous and welcome international students.

The US offers international students the most exciting, rewarding and comprehensive array of study options in the world. International students who choose to study in the US have almost unlimited study choices. Furthermore, international students who successfully complete their US study are highly sought-after gen-next professionals by employers worldwide.

The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 3% to approximately 8 lakh students during the 2013-14 academic year, according to the Open Doors report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

In fact, international students comprise approximately 4% of the total undergraduate US University and US College population and 10% for US Graduate School.

Application Procedure
US offers student visa (F1) for duration of 3-5 years. Post the completion of MS (Masters of Science), a student gets Optional Practical Training (OPT) under which the student is allowed to work full time for up to 29 months. This allows the student to work while on study visa. However, a student can apply for H1B visa (work visa) during or after the completion of OPT, and subsequently a student can apply for Green Card (legal permanent residency).

Professionals having 7-8 years of work experience after completion of graduation can also apply under the student visa. The Professionals can apply for MBA, PhD and all other Masters programs under the study visa category and subsequently get OPT for up to 29 months. Further, during or after the completion of OPT, Professionals can also qualify for H1B visa and subsequently they can qualify for Green Card.

Jobs and Employment
Business Administration, Science, Teaching, Healthcare, Engineering and many more sectors offer employment opportunities to the professionals. The employment rate is pretty high as this is one of the most thriving economies of the world. US is the land of prosperity and salary is also best in the industry for the deserving people.

USA Family Visa

Aiding a family member to become a permanent resident of the US, follows roughly the same procedure but with some nuances in each type of family-based visa.

First, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must approve your immigrant visa petition (I-130) for you. It must be accompanied by proof of the relationship and the other required documentation in order to begin the family based immigration process.

The Department of State determines if an immigrant visa number is available for the applicant, based on the category applied.

The third step in family based immigration. The relative in the US should apply to change his status to that of a lawful permanent resident after a visa number becomes available.

The US Family visa is a temporary non-immigrant visa, allowing the US citizens to sponsor their family, spouses or fiancee to join them in the US on temporary basis.

Children, siblings, parents and spouses of US citizens or permanent residents, who are eligible, might be permitted to apply for a family based Green Card.

K1 Visa: A K1 visa allows a US citizen to sponsor his fiancé to come to the US to get married. Following this, Green card can be applied for.

K3 Visa: A K3 visa consents to a US citizen sponsoring his spouse to join him in the US, while the Green Card application is being processed.

GREEN CARD

IR Green Card :The ‘Immediate Relative’ category gives permission to a US citizen to sponsor his spouses from other nations, children and parents for a Green Card.

F1-F3 Green Card :These Green Card categories permits US citizens to sponsor their children to become permanent residents of the United States.

The F2 category permits permanent residents of the US to sponsor their spouses from other nations and children to apply for a Green Card.

The F4 Green Card category permits US citizens to sponsor their brothers and sisters, so as to apply for permanent residency.

USA Skilled Worker Visa

Workers who have less qualification than the one required by EB-1 and EB-2 visa categories can obtain the legal permanent resident status of the US by apply for EB-3 visa category. Three types of workers are covered under EB-3 visa category:

Skilled workers have a minimum of 2 years of work experience in their field
Professional workers having a minimum of US baccalaureate degree or equivalent
Low skilled workers

USA Travel Visa

The B1 Business Visitor visa is available to visitors seeking short-term entry into the U.S. to engage in legitimate business activities of a commercial or professional nature that do not involve receiving salary or payment of any kind from a U.S. source. The B2 visa is available for tourist activities, such as sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, obtaining medical treatment, attending conferences and meetings. This is how Consulate defines the qualification for the visitor visa grant.

Applicants for visitor visa must show that they qualify under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The presumption in the law is that every visitor visa applicant is an intending immigrant.

Therefore, applicants for visitor visa must overcome this presumption by demonstrating that:

The purpose of their trip is to enter the U.S. for business, pleasure, or medical treatment
That they plan to remain for a specific, limited period
That they have a residence outside the U.S. as well as other binding ties which will insure their return abroad at the end of the visit

What is the Process:
There are 4 USA consulate in India and based on your address of residency/state in India, you need to contact a specific consulate that is applicable for you. Prepare all the documents as per the list given above.

Sponsor in USA needs to send:
Completed and notarized Affidavit of Support form I-134. You can download it from US-INS web site.
A letter from Bank/banks (on their business letter head), stating your account summary.
(Talk to your bank and ask for your Account verification letter. Which is usually on the Banks office stationary should have Date of Account open and Current balance)
Copy of your Bank Statement, showing a good balance in order to justify your financial position.
Certificate Letter from your employer (on company’s business letter head), stating that you are a permanent employee of the company, and also stating your salary. 1 or 2 recent pay stub copies. If you are a Visa holder Copies of your – Visa (H1/L1), H1 approval form (I-797), and I-94. (If visa has expired but has a renewed petition, photocopy of the renewed petition. )
If Green card Holder: Copy of green card.If USA citizen: Copy of certificate of citizenship.
Which ever is applicable.
A neat photocopy of your complete Passport, including even the blank pages.
Copy of recent income tax returns.
An application/letter from you to the US consulate in India (address it to the particular consulate e.g. Delhi), requesting for issuing a visitor visa to the concerned person, stating that you will be taking care of every needful for these people, including tickets, boarding and other expenses in USA.
A formal invitation letter addressed to the person (person’s) you are inviting to US. Also stating that you will be taking care of all their needs while in US, including tickets, boarding and other expenses in USA

Applicant Needs:

Completed Non-immigration Visa application form DS-156, which is also available free of charge at the consulates only. (Separate for each visitor)
Completed form DS-157, for all male non-immigrant visa applicants between the ages of 16 and 45. Which is available free of charge at the consulates only. (Separate for each visitor)
Each applicant, including children of any age, must possess an individual passport valid for travel to the United States with a validity date at least six months beyond the intended period of stay.
Two photographs 2 and 2 inches square (50 mm square) for each applicant, showing full face, without head covering, against a light background. To be used in the application Form. US consulates are very particular about the Photographs specification.
Must follow these guidelines for photographs