What"s the difference between a green card and a visa?
Answer:
The other respondents are somewhat correct. A Green Card will allow you to stay here as a permanent residence. A Visa is what you need to enter the country.
What you should really do is talk to the JAG office on whichever post you are at. Most likely you will file the paperwork at the nearest American Consulate. The good news is, your paperwork will be expedited. The bad news is it will still take about 6-8 weeks for everything to be finished. But the even better news is that is a fraction of the time needed if you were in Germany and he was in America.
Go to the JAG office as soon as possible. Don't wait until you are 3 weeks away from your PCS move. They will help you get the proper paperwork you need and give you instructions on how to fill it out and what to do with it. I can't stress enought though, don't wait until the last minute to do everything. I have seen that happen and if you do you may have to stay behind in Germany for a few weeks until the paperwork is finished. Being an Army wife, I am sure you have dealt with seperations, but this one is unnecessary and can be avoided.
I MIGHT BE WRONG BUT...
WITH A GREEN CARD: YOUR A PERMANENT RESIDENT & CAN STAY IN THE STATES FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT.
WITH A VISA: YOU ARE GRANTED TEMPORARY STAY & CAN BE FINED IF YOU STAY LONGER THAN PERMITED.
YOU SHOULD GET A GREEN CARD, YOUR HUSBAND MUST APPLY FOR YOU BEING THAT HE IS AMERICAN. & YOU WILL NEED A PASSPORT TO TRAVEL
There are three basic types of visa: tourist, student, and work.
Tourist visas allow you to look around, but not go to school or work (or even look for work). They typically have the shortest duration ... a maximum of 182 days.
Student visas allow you to study and look around, but not work (or look for work). These are also "short term", but typically are valid for the duration of the degree program being pursued.
Work visas allow you to work and look around - most do not allow you to study. These can have several durations, from a few months to three years ... depending on the specific visa.
A Green Card is a work visa issued to someone who has already met the permanent residency criteria of the US. It is NOT a permenant residency card, as most people think! It has a variable duration ... the longest term is 10 years.
If you (as the spouse of a US citizen) want to work or study in the US, you'll have to go through the hoops of obtaining the appropriate visa. If you start your permanent resident application now (or fairly soon), you might have it by the time you get to the US .. in which case, you can then apply for the green card status which will allow you to work.
IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN YOU WILL HAVE TO GET A VISA FIRST BECAUSE PERMANANT RESIDENCY IS A LONG PROCESS WHICH YOU MAY BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR BEFORE YOU COME. THE BEST PLACE TO LOOK UP STUFF LIKE THAT IS WWW.USCIS.GOV AND THEY HAVE A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL THERE AND ASK SUCH QUESTIONS.
A green card is a type of visa that expires and can be extended. There are many types of visa; tourism, student, etc. A green card is intended for those that seek permanent residence. Each has its own eligibility requirements and process.
you NEED badly to start working on a green card visa...it is an immigrant visa but it takes a while to process...my wife and I were separated for 14 months while the INS (USCIS) took its sweet time to process the visa..
a green card lets u work
a visa lets u come across the boarders
the way the us is so afraid of the terrorist it would be safe to take both.
The Immigration information post by website user , MyTend.com not guarantee correctness.
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