The American Dream is alive and well in the minds of many foreigners. There are still many people across the globe who want to move to the US and start working hard toward realizing their own American Dream. Immigrants have been coming to the US for centuries and creating a better life.
The one problem is that it is very difficult to come to the US. There are lots of papers to file, wait times are long for processing, and not everybody is a candidate. It is very helpful to know what you are getting into before you start the process. In this article, we will go over what it takes to come to the US as an immigrant and be able to stay.
Health Insurance
Unlike many developed countries, the US doesn’t have a public healthcare system that is available to everybody. Usually, people have health insurance provided by their job. If you are new to the country then you likely don’t have a job yet. There is also the time that it takes to get your green card so you can stay. During which time you will need to have health insurance.
Health insurance for foreigners in the USA needs to be bought so you can be covered in case of an emergency or illness. If something were to happen to you when you aren’t insured, you will get a bill from the doctor or hospital. You risk going into serious medical debt before you even have a chance to start working and building your dream life.
Make sure that you understand what you need for coverage and then buy a policy to hold you over until you start working and can’t get covered by your employer’s policy. There are many different networks and not every doctor or hospital is on all of them. You’ll also have to make sure that the policy that you get will give you the most options as far as the choice of doctors and hospitals. If you go to an out-of-network doctor or hospital you will end up paying out of pocket for those visits in most cases.
You Need A Visa To Come
Most nationalities need a visa to arrive in the US. Some countries’ nationals are exempt from needing a visa to come to the US, but those are all non-immigrant visas. Coming on a non immigrant visa and overstaying is illegal and will have you deported and not have the possibility to come back for at least ten years.
Applying for a green card when you’ve come into the country on a non immigrant visa will not look good for officials and can end up costing you a chance at getting one. Instead, make sure to apply for one of the many immigrant visas so you know you will be considered for approval.
For instance, you may be coming on a work visa that was set up by an employer before you arrived in the US. When you go through customs they will ask you if you intend to immigrate. Since you are coming in on a non immigrant visa, for example for a job, then you are not immigrating into the US and should say no.
Applying For An Immigrant Visa
There are a few ways to get an immigrant visa and how to apply for one. In one case, you will need a sponsor to invite you to come to live in the US. This person is usually a family member that is a sort of guarantor that you won’t be a burden on the system by committing crimes or not working.
You can file the visa that is sponsored in the US if you are already living there, or in your home country through the local consulate. Either way, it starts with your sponsor filing a petition that will be reviewed by USCIS. Once your petition is filed, you will be given a date for an interview.
At the interview, the consulate of other officials will ask seemingly random questions, but they are meant to help them gauge if you are a good candidate for entry into the US and won’t cause problems. After the interview, they will let you know if you’re approved for the visa or not.
Usually, you will be leaving your passport with the consulate and then picking it up at a location they will tell you about or have it shipped back to you. It will already be stamped with your visa and ready to be used to enter the US.
Green Card
When you get approved for your visa, it only allows you entry to the US. There is still a matter of residency that needs to be sorted out. This is commonly called getting your green card. A green card is what you need to be able to continue living and working in the US.
It can take quite a while for your green card application to process and will usually involve another interview to make sure that you are a good candidate to live in the US. They will again ask you a lot of seemingly simple questions but the interview is designed to let them know if you are applying for the green card in good faith. The best way to make sure that your wait time isn’t too long is to have all the right documents filed to prevent delays in the process.
The first one you get will likely be for two years and is a conditional green card. In the two year period, you have to stay out of trouble and be working or at least supported financially. Then, you will apply for an unconditional green card that will last for ten years. You can renew the unconditional green card indefinitely, but most people will apply to become a citizen once they qualify. You are able to apply for citizenship once you have been living in the US for five years.
