Where Can I Find the Law?
The Immigration and Nationality
Act is a law that governs immigration in the United States. For the
part of the law concerning most
types of permanent resident status, please see INA § 245. The specific eligibility requirements and procedures for adjusting
to permanent residence status are included in the Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] at 8 CFR § 245.
Who is Eligible?
To find out who may apply for permanent residence in the United States, please see eligibility information.
(Please note, your permanent residence status will be conditional if it is based on a marriage that was less than two years old on the day
you were given permanent residence. For more information, please see
How Do I Remove the Conditions on Permanent Resident Based on
Marriage?.)
How Do I Apply?
To
find out how you can apply to become a lawful permanent resident of the
United States, please click here to see Application Procedures, which
will help you identify what you need to do. After you submit your
application materials, you will be asked to go to a USCIS office to
answer questions about your applications.
Will I Get a Work Permit?
Applicants
for adjustment to permanent resident status are eligible to apply for a
work permit while their cases are pending. You should use
USCIS Form I-765 to
apply for a work permit. You do not need to apply for a work permit
once you adjust to permanent resident status. As a lawful permanent
resident, you should receive a permanent resident card that will prove
that you have a right to live and work in the United States
permanently. Please see How Do I Get a Work Permit? for more
information. Instruction Form I-765
Can I Travel Outside the United States?
If
you are applying for adjustment to permanent resident status, you must
receive advance permission to return to the United States if you are
traveling outside the United States. This advance permission is called
Advance Parole. If you do not obtain Advance Parole before
you leave the country, you will abandon your application with USCIS and
you may not be permitted to return to the United States. For more information, please see How Do I Get a Travel Document?.
How Can I Check the Status of My Application?
Please
contact the USCIS office that received your application. You should be
prepared to provide USCIS staff with specific information about your
application. Please click here for complete instructions on checking
the status of your application. Please click here for more information
on USCIS offices.
How Can I Appeal?
The only applications for permanent residency (Form I-485 )
which can be appealed to USCIS are those based on a marriage which took
place while the alien's application was in process or those based on
Section 586 of Public Law 106-429, adjustment of status for certain
nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. These appeals must be made to
the Administrative Appeals Unit (AAU). I-485 Instruction Generally,
you may appeal within 33 days after the immigration judge decides to
remove you from the country. After your appeal form and a required fee
are processed, the appeal will be referred to the Board of Immigration
Appeals in Washington, D.C. For more information, please see, How Do I
Appeal A Denial of My Application or Petition?.
Can Anyone Help Me?
If
advice is needed, you may contact the USCIS District Office near your
home for a list of community-based, non-profit organizations that may
be able to assist you in applying for an immigration benefit. Please
see our USCIS field offices home page for more information on
contacting USCIS offices.
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R0204. Percent of the Total Population Who Are Asian Alone: 2006
Universe: Total population
Data Set: 2006 American Community Survey
Survey: 2006 American Community Survey, 2006 Puerto Rico Community S |
