You might be asking what the difference is between a “green card” and a “visa” if you’re planning to visit or relocate to the United States. Green card holders typically enter the nation on a visa, although not all visa holders have or will acquire a green card. This guide will explain the distinctions between a visa and a green card.

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What Is a Visa?

Do you want to visit or immigrate to the United States? Most persons who intend to enter the United States require visas to be allowed. Before traveling, you must apply for them at a U.S. embassy or consulate. There are two types of visas: a tourist visa and a business visa.

Non-immigrant visas: These permit the holder to travel to the United States for particular reasons, such as job, study, medical treatment, business travels, and a set period with a selected departure date. They are temporary documents that do not grant the possessor permanent residency in the United States.

Immigrant visas: This form of visa is harder to obtain, but it permits you to go to the United States and live there permanently as part of getting a green card. This visa must be secured before coming to the United States, and the application process is more involved. Typically, a family member has sponsored the holder. An immigrant visa by itself does not entitle you to citizenship. If you want to stay in the United States permanently, you’ll need a green card.

What Is a Green Card?

Green cards are tangible identification cards that show the possessor is a permanent resident of the United States and can work and travel freely across the country. Green cards are a form of visa that allows you to live permanently in the United States.

After arriving in the United States, green cards are issued. An applicant must already hold an immigrant visa and apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to be eligible for a green card. After three to five years, green card holders can apply for citizenship.

Green cards come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including, but not limited to:

  • Family-based: Applicants must be close relatives of current U.S. citizens or other green cardholders. Immediate family members include parents, siblings, children, widows, and widowers of citizens, and green cardholders.
  • Employment-based: Certain workers, and in some cases, their immediate family, may be given green cards tied to their jobs.
  • Humanitarian green card holders: Green cards are available to refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of human trafficking, crime, or abuse.

While green cards provide permanent residency, they must be renewed every ten years. Only in exceptional circumstances, like committing a crime, is residency withdrawn. With us, you get an experienced, independent immigration attorney to answer all of your questions and help you complete all required government forms.

What Are the Differences Between a Green Card and a Visa?

The significant distinction between visas and green cards is when they are obtained: visas are received before departure, but green cards are earned after arrival – but that isn’t the only distinction.

Visas must be obtained before departure. They are usually a stamp on a passport that allows entry into the United States. Visas do not always allow for an indefinite stay. Non-immigrant visas have a specified period of validity, which might vary based on travel and finally expire. Non-immigrant visas are rarely used to obtain permanent residency. Immigrant visas can be used to begin becoming a permanent resident, but they do not grant resident status. A green card is a physical document that certifies the holder’s permission to live and work in the United States forever.

Green cards can only be obtained once you have arrived in the United States. Before applying for a green card, you must first get an immigrant visa. A green card holder can pursue citizenship.

We help you understand what documents you need and keep them all together securely online. Please find out more about the process with our green card lawyer free consultation.