How to move to America from Russia for permanent residence

How to leave for the USA for permanent residence from Russia in 2017? This question is of interest to many Russians, because immigration to the United States has become the dream of many since the collapse of the USSR and the fall of the Iron Curtain. We will try to consider the most pressing problems of obtaining a residence permit in the United States by Russian citizens: how to get the right to permanent residence, what it gives, who has a real chance of fulfilling the American dream.

Grounds for immigration

There are only two reasons for immigration:

obtaining an immigrant visa at the US diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation;
winning the annual green card lottery.

Immigrant visas

Russians wishing to obtain a residence permit in the United States can apply to the US Embassy for an immigrant visa. At the moment, there are 4 American diplomatic missions in major cities in Russia:

Moscow,
Saint Petersburg,
Ekaterinburg,
Vladivostok.

There are many types of visas in the United States, which can be divided into immigrant and non-immigrant, as the name implies, the former differ in the right to obtain a residence permit, permanent or temporary. Consider the most common options:

Work Visa. Typically, such a visa is issued to Russians who have received an invitation from a particular employer. The visa is valid for 3 years, after which it can be extended if the employer still needs the employee. Despite the fact that officially an employee has the right to quit at any time, it is better to work for the first employer for at least a year, otherwise the migration services may well have questions about the authenticity of his intentions to initially work in this company, and any deception in this matter is punishable by deprivation of a residence permit.
Fiancé/fiancee visa. A very common way of immigration is to marry a US citizen. After the conclusion of the union, the young spouse has the right to apply for a green card for a period of 3 years, and then apply for citizenship.

Obtaining such a visa can be considered a subspecies of family immigration. It is not uncommon for relatives of migrants to visit and then gradually build relationships with local employers to secure their invitation in the future. Until recently, children adopted in Russia received visas, at the moment this is not possible, but a child born in the United States will automatically receive citizenship.

Running your business and investing. There is a whole group of visas for foreigners who can open their own business or invest large sums, from half a million dollars, in the American economy. At the same time, it will be necessary to prove the origin of funds or experience in doing business and its effectiveness. A business visa is usually issued for a year and then extended.

Green Card Lottery in 2017

A green card, or more simply - a permanent residence permit in the United States, is played annually by a lottery organized by the American state. department to attract able-bodied personnel from all over the world to the country. Each year, 55 thousand of them are played, for each of the 8 zones into which the planet is divided, a certain number of prize cards is allocated. Russia also participates in the lottery. In 2017, the winners of the DV 2015 will be able to leave for the USA, it is already impossible to get into their number, and therefore we will talk about the lottery, which will begin in 2017.

It is expected that at the end of the summer of 2017, the start and end dates for the registration of lottery participants will be announced, usually from the beginning of October to the beginning or middle of November. On the site you will need to fill out a short questionnaire in English. Do not try to submit multiple applications, duplicates will be screened out. As a punishment for such behavior, the participant may be disqualified altogether. Registration of lottery participants is completely free. This does not reduce the huge number of intermediaries offering services for filling out applications, and sometimes even “guaranteeing a win”. The procedure for registering in the lottery is so simple that any adult and Russian with a secondary education and at least a minimum level of English proficiency can go through it on their own.

Attention! Do not fall for the tricks of scammers, registration of lottery participants is carried out only on the official website https://www.dvlottery.state.gov

In May 2018, the selection of winners will be held, who will be invited for an interview in the fall of 2018. The selection takes place with the help of a special program and fraud in this matter is impossible. Information about the result will appear in the applicant's personal account on the official website. If it turns out to be positive, then the lucky person can safely begin preparing for the interview.

Documentation

You need to prepare all the necessary documents in advance. Among them is a medical report, which is issued only by medical institutions accredited by the US diplomatic mission. In addition, you will need to complete the D-260 form. It is already more informative and contains more than just general questions about the identity of the applicant. Here you need to specify work experience, education, place of residence, marital status. Considering that members of his family can enter the country together with the winner, the form D-260 must be filled out by each of them.

The mere fact that you have become a lottery winner does not at all guarantee that you will receive the coveted green card. You will have to prove that it is really needed and that you have the intention to build the future in the USA. An embassy employee may refuse you simply because the photo you submitted does not meet the standards or he has suspicions about your law-abidingness, this is especially true in the light of the massive fight against terrorism in the world.

Attention! Proficiency in English is not a prerequisite for obtaining a green card as a lottery winner, but the better your command of the language, the higher the chances of success.

If everything went well, then the Russian citizen will receive a green card by mail, and with it a permanent residence permit, and in 2019 his family will be able to move to the United States for permanent residence.

Refugees and illegals

Russia is sometimes associated in the United States with almost a totalitarian regime, and therefore some Russians can take advantage of this belief. For example, try to convince the American authorities that they are being harassed on the basis of nationality, religion, or sexual minority. True, the latter will have to be proven by deeds. It is to demonstrate in some way your belonging, for example, by kissing or living with a person of the same sex.

Despite the vigilance of consular officers, hundreds of illegal immigrants are deported from the United States every year. This situation is the most precarious, but there are many examples when people who entered on a tourist visa and got lost in the vastness of the country married local residents and became legalized.

Benefits of immigrating to the USA

When thinking about immigration, many consider several countries, usually something from Europe, Australia, perhaps Singapore, if the profession allows, and, of course, the United States of America. Consider the poles and minuses of such a solution.

pros

Among the unconditional advantages of immigration, obtaining a residence permit, and then citizenship, is the opportunity to visit more than a hundred countries around the world without a visa, because most developed countries, one way or another, opened their borders for visitors from the United States, at least for tourists.

High quality of life. This cannot be attributed to a perfect plus, if only because it is far from being the case for everyone. Getting a well-paid job in the United States for foreigners who came from the Russian Federation without a preliminary agreement can be quite difficult. Most of the uninvited migrants start with a job for a small fee. It must be admitted that the average resident of the United States has a higher standard of living than the Russian, and therefore the life of an immigrant may appeal to many who are unlucky in their homeland.

The immigration of one family member can become a road to a bright future for relatives in a direct line, they will be able to visit freely, including in the hope of receiving an invitation from local employers in the future. At the same time, social security here remains at a very high level.

Minuses

Let's start with medicine, it has never been cheap in the USA, but one cannot fail to recognize its quality for a fairly high price. An immigrant will definitely have to take care of insurance, which will be quite expensive. At the same time, cosmetology, and most importantly, dentistry, is not included in the basic insurance. In the US, it is so expensive that it is easier for many immigrants to return to their homeland for several months and visit a dentist.

Diplomas from American universities are recognized all over the world, we will not discuss its quality, it is not uniform, but, of course, there are enough excellent educational institutions here, only education in them is quite expensive. In addition, from the moment you receive a green card, you must pay taxes.

Of course, each immigrant will additionally find his pros and cons, but one thing is clear, you need to go to the USA being confident in future sources of funding and your ability to work.