If you are a Canadian citizen and are looking out for ways on how to get a US green card, you have basically three options to work out – by filing an employment-based petition, by filing Spousal Sponsorship Petition, or by filing a Family-based petition. In each case, the process is a lengthy and highly time consuming one. It would be better if you hire a qualified and experienced immigration attorney to help you with the process. Even a minor mistake on the forms can cost you expensively. Therefore, you have to be very careful with the entire procedure. There is a lot of paperwork to do. You will also have to pay various fees and charges that can be a sentential amount of money. The cost of the process cannot be generalized, as there are plenty of factors that are taken into account in order to determine the same. However, the forms and the paperwork are almost same in each case. Following is a brief overview on each of the option mentioned above.
Filing An Employment-Based Petition
This option to obtain a US green card is applicable to those Canadian citizens who are already living in the United States of America with a valid US work Visa (which may include an H-1B Visa or an L1 Visa). As part of the process in this regard, you will have to request your employer to submit an I-140 application to the Service Center at a place where you are employed or where the office of your employer is located at.
Filing A Spousal Sponsorship Petition
For this you need to fill out the I-130 form. You can download this form from the official website of the USCIS. This option to get US green card is applicable to those Canadian citizens whose spouse is already a US citizen. In order to be eligible for the sponsorship, you will have to mete certain basic requirements. For example, you will have to file a petition with certain documents as a proof of your marriage. You also need to submit proof of income that the income of your US spouse is at least 125% of the national poverty level. You generally will not be able to qualify for permanent residence card if you fail to meet this criterion. There can be an exception however, as per which you will have to submit proof of having a co-sponsor by filing an I-864 application. Depending upon the various factors involved in your case, the entire process may take just from a few months to a few years.
Filing A Family-Based Petition
This option is probably the easiest way to get a US green card, which is applicable to those Canadian citizens who have relatives (with either permanent US citizenship or with at least a green card) living in the United States of America. There are again certain eligibility criteria to meet. Your relatives who are living in the US must file a petition that they are ready to sponsor you.