Immigrate to the USA: Green Card or Visa?

Are you thinking about moving to the USA? Then your first concern should be the appropriate residence and work permit. Find out more about the differences between US Visa and Green Card and how both options can affect your new life in the USA.

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Requirements for immigrating to the USA

Immigrating to the USA is only possible if you have a guaranteed right of residence in the United States. You can obtain this right permanently with a Green Card or for a limited time with a US visa.

Immigration with Green Card

The Green Card (also "Permanent Resident Card") is the only immigrant visa for the USA and can be acquired in different ways. The easiest one is through the US government's annual Green Card Lottery.

Once granted, Green Card rights remain yours for life: As a "Permanent Resident," you can live in the US without restrictions, can freely choose your US employer, and enjoy almost the same privileges as a US citizen.

Immigrating with a US Visa

You can also move to the USA with a temporary visa - but only for a limited period. Your options for so-called nonimmigrant visas include, for example, a work visa (E-1, E-2, L-1, H-1B, and others) or a student visa (F-1, J-1, or M-1).

A nonimmigrant visa for the USA gives you the right to stay for several months or years, depending on the type of visa.

Pros and cons of Green Cards and Visas

Everyday life in the United States differs depending on whether you are staying here on a Green Card or a temporary visa. Here is an overview of the key advantages and disadvantages of a Green Card and a visa:

Advantages of a US visa

A B-visa for visitors to the USA is easy to obtain.
Waiting times are usually short (except for work visas).
Visa fees are comparatively low (between $ 185 and $ 315).

Disadvantages of a US visa

Residence in the USA is only temporary.
The length of stay is tied to the purpose of the visa (which is strictly enforced).
For work visas: changing employers is rarely possible without losing the visa.

Advantages of a Green Card

Lifelong right to live and work in the USA
Simplified entry
Simplified job search
Free choice of US employer
Possibility to apply for US citizenship after 3 or 5 years
Studying in the USA is up to 80 % cheaper
Protection against entry bans

Handy

You have almost the same rights as a US citizen with a Green Card.

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Disadvantages of a Green Card

High entry requirements (except when participating in the Green Card Lottery)
Longer waiting periods in some cases (e.g., for most family-based Green Cards)
Costs for immigration application, medical examinations, and other fees

The differences between Green Cards and visas are most apparent in the case of job applications, tuition fees, and even in the case of imposed US entry bans, which usually do not apply to Green Card holders.

Most importantly, with a Green Card, you will never face the expiration of your residence permit again. Thus, you can freely plan your permanent life in the USA without risks or worries.

Studying in the USA: Green Card or visa?

If you want to study in the United States, then as a Green Card holder, you will enjoy some decisive advantages in contrast to students on visas:

	Study with a Green Card	Study with a US visa
Tuition fees	In-state tuition fees (low)	Out-of-state tuition fees (high)
Duration of studies	Flexible study time with possible extensions	Extensions need application and approval first
Work permit for student jobs	Provided	Only possible under certain conditions
Financial aid	Possibility of federal loans from the US government	None

Working in the USA: Green Card or visa?

If you want to work in the USA, a Green Card gives you maximum flexibility. Yet there are more advantages compared to working with a visa:

	Working with a Green Card	Working with a US visa
Applications	High chances and a wide choice of US employers	Selection is limited to specific jobs for foreign nationals with visas
Employment contract	No time restrictions	Job is tied to the expiration of the visa
Choice of employer	Free choice and you can switch jobs at any time	Right of residence is tied to the specific job and employer
Social benefits	Entitlement to Medicare benefits and other government assistance after 5 years	No government protection

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Start a company in the USA: Green Card or visa?

If you want to start a company in the USA, then having a Green Card has some advantages for you in contrast to starting a company with a US visa:

	Start a company with a Green Card	Start a company with a US visa
Business and trade licenses	Unobstructed application process	Additional requirements and longer waiting periods
Work permit	Provided	Special requirements depending on the visa
Start-up costs	Low ($ 100 - $ 300)	High (due to necessary investments and additional requirements)
Risk	Low (no time limits, no restrictions)	High (due to expiring visa deadlines)

Retiring to the USA: Green Card or visa?

If you want to retire to the USA, you may be able to receive your pension benefits in the United States, but this does not give you a residence permit. Since there is no special retiree visa in the States, senior living in the US is best done with a Green Card.

If you came to the States on a visitor's visa only, you would have to accept uncomfortable restrictions:

	Pensioner in the USA with a Green Card	Pensioner in the USA with a US visa
Residence permit	unlimited	maximum 6 months at a time (with a B-2 visa)
Entry and exit	unlimited and as often as desired	only with longer breaks between stays (to prevent suspicion of abuse)
Effort	low (Green Card rights are valid for life)	high (visa must be extended, approval is not guaranteed)
Risk	low	high (entry bans, refusals of visa extensions, suspicion of abuse by US Border Patrol)

Immigrating to the USA as a family: Green Card vs. visa

When moving to the USA with the whole family, the Green Card has enormous advantages over a US visa. Namely, if you win a Green Card, then your spouse and all your unmarried children under the age of 21 are automatically entitled to a Permanent Resident Card.

Family expatriation on a temporary visa, on the other hand, severely restricts your spouse's rights, especially concerning work authorization. Only the spouses of expats with E or L visas have recently been granted automatic work authorization for the USA. All others have to go through a long application process for an EAD (Employment Authorization Document) after moving.

Immigrating to the USA: Green Card vs. Visa

An overview of the differences when emigrating to the USA with a Green Card or visa:

	Green Card	US visa
Unlimited residence permit for the USA	✔️	❌
Unlimited work permit for the USA	✔️	❌
Eligibility for Medicare benefits and other government assistance after 5 years	✔️	❌
Studying at US universities at low in-state tuition fees	✔️	❌
Possibility of federal student loans	✔️	❌
Risk of being barred from entering the country	❌	✔️
Right to apply for US citizenship after 3 or 5 years	✔️	❌
Threat of deportation due to expiring visa deadlines	❌	✔️
Free choice and change of US employer possible	✔️	depending on visa
Equal rights for family members	✔️	only for E and L visa

Summary: Immigration to the USA is much easier with a Green Card than with a US visa. This is mainly due to the comprehensive rights of Green Card holders, such as lifetime residence and work permit in the USA.

Would you like to win a Green Card to live in the USA indefinitely? Then sign up for the Green Card Lottery today! It only takes a few minutes to enter, and your chances of winning are tremendous!

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