Updated
GL-G-02
Glossary · Statuses, passports, travel
Green card - the permanent right to live and work in the US
A permanent resident card of the USA: the indefinite right to live and work in America. Obtained through EB-5, family reunification, the lottery, or an employer. After 5 years you can apply for US citizenship.
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- Permanent resident status in the US — an indefinite right to live and work
- Routes
- Investment (EB-5), family, employer, the visa lottery
- For an investor
- The direct route is EB-5, an investment from $800,000
- Does it lead to a passport
- Yes: US citizenship after about 5 years
- Can you prepare
- Yes: choose the route and evidence the source of funds
02 / In plain words
What Green Card means
A green card is the US permanent resident card. It gives an indefinite right to live and work in America, in any state and for any employer, while the holder remains a citizen of their own country. In status it sits one step below US citizenship, but with full freedom to live and work.
There are several routes to a green card: investment (the EB-5 programme), family reunification with a US citizen or resident, a sponsoring employer and the annual visa lottery. For a wealthy applicant with no relatives or employer in the US, the most direct route is EB-5: an investment in a US business that creates jobs.
A green card is also a road to a passport. After living as a permanent resident for a certain time (usually about 5 years) and meeting the presence requirements, you can apply for US citizenship through naturalisation. The status must be maintained, however: leaving the US for long periods without making arrangements risks losing the green card.
A case from practice
An investor puts $800,000 or more into an approved project under the EB-5 programme and creates jobs. First they and their family receive a conditional green card, and a couple of years later, once the job requirements have been met, a permanent one. About 5 years after that they are entitled to apply for a US passport.
Why a green card is useful
- To live and work in the US indefinitely
- Any state and any employer
- Status for a spouse and children
- A path to US citizenship
- Education and healthcare in the US
- Relocating the family to America
03 / What it covers
Routes to a green card
Investments
- EB-5
- From $800,000
- 10+ jobs
Family
- A citizen spouse
- Close relatives
- Reunification
Work
- A sponsoring employer
- Professional categories
- Labour petition
Lottery
- An annual draw
- Diversity Visa
- For certain countries
04 / How it works
The investment route (EB-5)
Choosing an EB-5 project
A project inside or outside a targeted area, jobs, risks.
Proof of source of funds
Documents proving the investment's lawful origin.
Investment and petition
The investment and a petition to US immigration services.
Conditional green card
A 2-year status for the investor and family.
Permanent green card
Once the jobs are confirmed, the condition is removed.
05 / Cost and timelines
Routes and timelines
- Investment (EB-5)
- From $800,000, usually 2-3 years to a permanent green card
- Family/work
- Depends on the category and queues
- To citizenship
- About 5 years in status, subject to meeting the conditions
- Keeping the status
- The US must be your main place of residence
- Alternative
- An E-2 visa through a Grenadian passport — faster and cheaper
06 / Key facts
What you need to know
01What it gives
Live and work in any state
For any employer, with no separate permit. You keep your own citizenship.
02Routes
EB-5, family, employment, the lottery
For an investor with no family or employer in the US, EB-5 is the direct route.
03EB-5
From $800,000
An investment in a US project creating at least 10 jobs. First a 2-year conditional green card, then a permanent one.
04Path to a passport
After about 5 years
After 5 years in status and meeting the presence requirements you can apply for US citizenship.
Common mistakes
Confusing a green card with citizenship
Remember: no passport and no vote; citizenship is a separate procedure.
Leaving the US for a long time without a permit
Get a re-entry permit before a long absence.
Choosing an EB-5 project by promised returns
Check the project for jobs, risks and its approval record.
Not comparing EB-5 with the E-2 visa
Work out both routes: E-2 is faster and cheaper but gives no permanent status.
07 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
Take a sober look at the timelines and sums: EB-5 is a genuine permanent status, but the route is expensive and takes years. Work out whether it suits you specifically, or whether an investor E-2 visa through a Grenadian passport, which gets going faster and costs less, is enough for your goals. For EB-5, the source of the invested funds is evidenced in advance.
What we do for you. We are frank about the timelines and sums for a green card: EB-5 is a genuine permanent status, but the route is expensive and takes years. We work out whether it suits you specifically, or whether an investor E-2 visa through a Grenadian passport, which gets going faster and costs less, is enough for your goals.
Robert HaasHead of Company Formation
08 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
No. It is permanent resident status: an indefinite right to live and work in the US, but without a passport and without the right to vote. You can apply for citizenship after about 5 years of residence in status, subject to meeting the conditions.
Yes. If you leave the US for long periods without obtaining permission for an extended absence, the status may be deemed abandoned. A green card assumes the US is your main place of residence.
The most direct is the EB-5 programme: an investment of $800,000 or more in a US business creating 10+ jobs. Without relatives or an employer in the US, this is the main investment option.
A green card is a permanent status (through EB-5, expensive and taking years). E-2 is a renewable investor visa through a Grenadian passport: faster and cheaper, but not a permanent status.
Yes, in full: in any state and for any employer, with no separate permit. It is one of the key differences from temporary visas.
Yes. After about 5 years in status and meeting the presence requirements, you can apply for US citizenship through naturalisation.
Related terms
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