An individual can become a Lawful Permanent Residence based on a family member or an employer.

Family Based Immigration

U.S. citizens can file an immigrant visa petition for their:

• Spouse
• Son or daughter
• Parent
• Sibling

Lawful Permanent Residents can only file an immigrant visa petition for their:

• Spouse
• Unmarried son or daughter

Employment based migration has five preferences

Employment First Preference (E1)

• Persons with extraordinary ability
• Outstanding professors and researchers
• Multinational managers or executives

Employment Second Preference (E2)

• Professionals holding an advanced degree
• Persons with exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business

Employment Third Preference (E3)

• Skilled workers
• Professionals
• Unskilled workers (Other workers)

Employment Fourth Preference (E4)

There are many subgroups within this category such as:

• Ministers of religion
• Surviving spouse of a U.S. citizen
• Certain foreign medical graduates
• Special immigrant juveniles

Employment Fifth Preference (E5)

Immigrant investor visa categories are for capital investment by foreign investors in new commercial enterprises in the United States which provide job creation.

To qualify as an immigrant investor a foreign national must invest, without borrowing, the following minimum qualifying capital dollar amounts in a qualifying commercial enterprise:

• $1,800,000 (U.S.); or
• $900,000 (U.S.) in a high-unemployment or rural area considered a targeted employment area.