How to Get a Green Card: Legal Ways to Stay in the U.S.A.

by Loida Nicolas Lewis and Len T. Madlansacay

With green cards at a premium, it's essential that people know all that's required to get these much sought-after documents. This book presents ways to get a green card through: - parents, siblings and adult children- spouses or fianc'es- employers- green card lotteries- political asylum or refugee status. Includes lists of more than 400 groups that help with paperwork and offer counseling and legal referrals.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0873371933
• ISBN13: 9780873371933
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: NOLO
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.4" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

Comprehensive Manual on the Subject

I generally only choose to review books about meditation and spirituality, but found this book interesting in regard to a subject that has been a concern for many international friends and contacts. Part of my life I was both a Court Clerk and Paralegal. From this standpoint, I can appreciate something that is well organized and presents almost everything that you need to know, including some special tips that you cannot usually get without some experience. For instance, the authors recommend not having this book with you when you come to America as a tourist (and also not to have any letters or items that suggest that you are getting a job as soon as you come here or anything that suggests that you are coming here for anything other than a simple visit as a tourist). I use the word "almost" in a previous sentence in order to be precise. The book very quickly tells you what kind of green cards or permanent residence it can help a person with and what kinds it cannot. It limits itself to what is legal and straightforward, cases with no special complications. It outlines grounds for inadmissibility and how a person might be able to legally have these grounds lifted, and what are the odds of this happening. The book is loaded with charts, bullet points, grey text boxes, pictures of sample forms (the book does not have usable forms, since it says that these get updated too much to be relevant, but shows where the forms can be obtained), and outlines. The book itself is organized with an implicit outline to make referencing the relevant parts (to each case) easy. There are stories of actual cases to highlight some of the suggestions and what to do. All in all, I wish more legal books were as well organized as this one. While this book might not handle every possible situation, it is a good place and a low cost place to start. I would recommend it for anyone who needs to get familiar with the basic issues and laws. Even if a person needs to seek legal help or a lawyer, I think a person would be better prepared for having studied this first. There are sections, too, on how to build up a paper trail that supports making your case (proving, for instance, that the marriage is not sham but a genuine one).

Good shape and quick

book arrived quickly and in very good shape, thxs would purchase from this vendor again.

Shows your options and helps to make decisions

I believe this book may be of interest to many readers. First of all, it explains how visitors from abroad can legally prolong their stay in the USA. It's possible to apply for an extension of one's visitor's status without leaving the USA. And this book guides well through this procedure.Secondly, those who are interested in applying for a green card, should find the most suitable category if they want to succeed. The book describes qualifications and outlines the application process for each of them. Many people don't know that they may be inadmissible for one or another reason even if they otherwise meet all the green card applicant requirements. Someone already in the US, and still may not be allowed to proceed if he or she falls into one of the inadmissible categories - as a violator of immigration rules in the past or for health reasons, for example. Some people find this out only after passing a medical exam. But you may want to learn about the regulations in advance. The book covers this issue in detail, including who and how can apply for a waiver of inadmissibility. Another sensitive chapter is on cancellation of deportation. How and in what cases this may be done...Also, you'll find some important information on how and who is eligible to claim status as a refugee or political asylee.In all, I think the book is pretty informative and filled with practical advice. It's also easy to read and understand.

An Excellent Guide to Getting A Greencard

This book was the most thorough of the 10 or so books available: it had been updated in Nov 1999 by a professor, and it was laid out in an extremely user-friendly fashion.I used the book to educate myself about the process of petitioning for my husband. We were able to hire an excellent lawyer, and ask her good questions. I think our preparedness for our consultation convinced the attorney to discount our legal fees by 25%. The book has some unexpectedly funny side-notes, such as a grey box on the secrets to a lasting marriage which made the book enjoyable to read.I found it to be a thorough guide, and I would recommend it to anyone who needs solid, up to date and helpful information on the long process of applying for a greencard.

This book was extremely helpful

I used a previous version of this book as a reference when I applied to get my husband a green card. It was very helpful, as the explanations and instructions are detailed and clear. Although my husband's situation was somewhat difficult, I felt confident enough, with this book as my guildline, to do everything without the help of a lawyer (which, as those of you in a similar situation know, can be very expensive).Through my experience, I also have found that the anecdotes and random advice (such as how to present one's self in the interviews and how to deal with the long waits at the INS offices) were right on the mark.