I am currently doing Masters in USA and will be graduating next semester. Can i apply for US Greencard while doing Masters in USA? By Having MS or PhD degree, will i get green card? What is the process for applying for Greencard while studying in US University?

Greencard Guide for Masters and PhD Students

Here are some points to understand about Greencard.

• Students currently in US Universities (doing Masters or PhD) are eligible for greencard petetion.
• You need an Employer in USA to sponser Greencard.
• You need not to be his employee to get greencard.
• OPT,CPT studets are eligible to apply for greencard. You Don’t need to wait till you get H1b visa Status.
• Greencard is for future employment. If an employer is willing to sponsor you future and permanent employment, he will apply for Greencard for you.
• Typically Greencard process involve three steps.
  • Labor Certification
  • I-140
  • I-485.
• You can’t apply to GC by your own.
• There are 3 categories in Employment based Greencard.
  • EB1 – For PhD students, IT Managers
  • EB2 – MS in US Students and 4 yr Bachelor degree student with 5 yrs of work experience
  • EB3 – Just bachelors degree is enough.
• You will get Greencard Immediately in EB1 category since the category is current now.
• Average time to get GC in Eb2 is 4-8 years. in EB3 it is 10-70 years.
• Once you get greencard, you can start your own business in USA. You can work for any employer in USA after getting Greencard.
• India and China have separate greencard categories from Rest of the World (ROW).