Apply for residency by means of a family member who is already a U.S. citizen or a legal resident. Residency is often extended to spouses, children and parents, as well as people in special circumstances, such as a battered spouse, widow or someone born to a foreign diplomat in the U.S.
Petition residency through a job or job offer in the U.S. Show that you will not displace any American workers or that you have an extraordinary ability in your profession. Ask your potential employer to get a labor certification and then file a Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, on your behalf. File on your own behalf if you are claiming to be an "Alien of Extraordinary Ability" in your field. File a Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, if you work in a specialized job listed in the Immigration and Nationality Act. These jobs include religious work, Afghan or Iraqi translators and Panama Canal employees.
Request permanent residency, as required, one year after being admitted to the United States as a refugee. Asylees can request residency one year after being granted asylum.
Petition residency in the United Stated based on specific qualifications. Cuban natives, informants, American Indians born in Canada and victims of trafficking can all apply. See the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website for a complete list of qualifications.
Download and fill out Form I-485 from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website. File the application at the correct location, depending on your eligibility category. Pay the $985 filing fee along with the $85 biometric fee, making checks payable to Department of Homeland Security. People older than 79 years and refugees are not required to pay the biometric fee, which is essentially the fee for taking fingerprints. Children under 14 must pay a $635 fee when applying with a parent. Rates are valid as of May 2011.
