How to Get a Green Card

by Ilona Bray, Loida Nicolas Lewis

U.S. immigration law is a tangle of details. This book explains the most likely bases upon which an everyday person might qualify for a green family, marriage, asylum, the visa lottery, and a few lesser-known categories.

Then, the book leads readers safely through the enormous immigration bureaucracy, with step-by-step application instructions, checklists with required forms and documents, tips for avoiding mistakes and dealing with legal complications, and sample forms.

This edition is completely revised to reflect the latest laws, including new rights to a green card for same-sex married couples, agency contact information, and fees, plus critical new procedural information, particularly concerning the new provisional waiver for unlawful presence. And if the immigration reform bill currently before congress becomes law, the book will cover its groundbreaking changes, including a new path to citizenship for immigrants currently in the country without documentation.

This book is not appropriate for people seeking temporary visas or work-related green cards.
 

370 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2006

About the author

Ilona Bray is an award-winning author of books for adults and children. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and received a law degree from the University of Washington. In her role as an author/editor at Nolo.com, she specializes in real estate, immigration law, and nonprofit fundraising.

Reviews

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief history of the U.S. was given and the steps one has to take to acquire a green card.

[Faith Cote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Factual book with a brief history of immigration in the US & instructions on how to get a green card.

[SAJID KHAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative book

[Raja]

nice Book... contains worthy info

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to get this book instead of spending hours searching for answers to my questions online. There are plenty of websites available that offer help. I used them as my last resort. This book gave me a nice overview of all the forms that need to be completed and basic evidence that needs to be submitted. I was happy until I found a major error. One of the sample forms is filled out incorrectly. I wrote to the publisher and they seemed thankful for my feedback. I would have liked a bit more in-depth explanation. Certain fields on forms are tricky. It seemed the authors choose the simplest example when they completed the sample forms. I would have liked some text boxes next to the forms that explain: "If you are on a X-type visa, you may need to check YES here" or something like that. My situation - already working and living in the US - was not represented sufficiently in the book.
Now that I submitted my package, I definitely have a better understanding of the process and would make some improvements to this book. They should ask for feedback to improve it!!