F1 visa and Green card for physical therapy?

Question

Hello, I am a physical therapist came on F1 visa and would like to apply green card. Can I apply for it during my studies or do I have to cancel my F1 visa status? And if I want to cancel my F1 visa due to financial problem then, will I be legal after applying for green card petition? if yes then from when? Is it soon after my application?

Answer 1

You should definitely contact your international students counselor at your university and/or an immigration lawyer. But here is some information that should be useful:

Are you eligible to apply for a green card? Under what circumstances are you applying? You are only eligible for a green card under certain circumstances:

If your spouse, parent or child is a US citizen and would like to petition you

If your spouse is a permanent resident

If your US employer would like to petition you

If you are an international investor

If you won the green card lottery



If you are eligible for a green card, then you need to file some forms with USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services). Here is the link for USCIS: http://www.uscis.gov/

Since you are under an F-1 visa, then you will need to file a form to change status from F-1 student to permanent resident. Once you have filed all the forms, USCIS will send you a letter confirming your petition and authorizing you to stay in the US until your petition is approved or denied. You can also apply for an employment authorization document that would allow you to work in the US for up to a year. The whole green card process can take between 6 months and a year depending on where you file.

As I said before, contact your international students office or an immigration attorney that can help you with your case. Also, take a look at the resources at the USCIS site.

Good luck!