The idea of a better life in the United States of America (USA) has captured the interest of many Nigerians for many years.
The promise of world-class education, better employment opportunities, and an enhanced quality of life make immigrating to the USA from Nigeria highly sought after by many Nigerians.
If you, like many other Nigerians, aspire to move to the USA from Nigeria, then you should be aware of the steps to take to emigrate to the United States (U.S.) from Nigeria successfully.
In this article, I share the 5 fastest ways to immigrate to the USA from Nigeria and get your US Green Card.
Table of Contents
What is a US Green Card?
The Green Card is a U.S. permanent resident card that is given to foreign applicants who wish to live and work in the United States.
A Green Card certifies a foreigner’s permanent residence, working rights, and travel in and out of the U.S. without immigration restrictions.
Green Card holders can apply for U.S citizenship after 3 to 5 years, so long as they meet all of the relevant criteria.
The U.S offers two types of Green Cards:
- Conditional Green Cards: This card allows you to live and work in the United States but only for two years, and you will have to update your status to a full Green Card.
- 10-Year Green Cards: This card allows you to live and work in the U.S. for 10 years before applying for renewal or citizenship.
Don’t miss out;
How to Immigrate to the USA from Nigeria in 2024.
There are mainly 5 ways to immigrate to the USA from Nigeria in 2024 namely:
- Family-Based Immigration
- Diversity Visa Lottery
- USA Investment Immigration
- Employment-Based Immigration
- Educational Immigration
Let’s examine them in detail:
1. Family-Based Immigration.
One of the fastest ways to emigrate to the U.S. from Nigeria is through family-based immigration.
The US allows citizens and permanent residents to sponsor certain family members, including spouses, children, parents, and siblings, to become permanent residents of the United States.
You’ll need to have a relative or someone who is living in the U.S. already for this method to work.
This process involves the person filing a petition and proving a qualifying relationship.
Also, the person must meet certain income requirements before they can be allowed to support a relative.
2. Diversity Visa Lottery.
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is also known as the “Green Card Lottery”.
In Nigeria, it is popularly called the “visa lottery”. It gives out up to 55,000 Green Cards annually to nationals from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S.
This program was implemented to diversify the immigrant population in the United States and the selection is determined through a random lottery draw.
3. USA Investment Immigration.
Another way you can move to the USA from Nigeria is through investment immigration.
If you have a lot of money to invest in the USA you can easily immigrate to the USA from Nigeria using the investment immigration option.
With the investment immigration pathway, you will have to invest in US businesses and ventures or create your enterprise in exchange for permanent resident status.
Provided you satisfy the required financial standards and meet other regulatory requirements, you will be able to obtain a Green Card through this method.
4. Employment-Based Immigration.
For professionals and workers, employment-based immigration is a great way to migrate to the USA from Nigeria.
This comes in different categories, there is the EB-1 visa for individuals with exceptional abilities and the EB-5 visa for investors.
The H-1B visa is another popular temporary work visa that allows US employers to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations.
This is not a direct path to permanent residency, but it can lead to a Green Card through employer sponsorship.
5. Educational Immigration.
Another popular way to emigrate easily and quickly from Nigeria to the U.S. is through educational immigration.
Many people who want to migrate to the U.S.A. from Nigeria use this opportunity because it is very fast.
An educational visa (U.S. student visa) enables you to study and complete your degree at some of the best universities and colleges in the United States.
It also provides you with a wealth of educational and professional opportunities.
Aside from having access to a world-class education, you can also take advantage of the diverse range of experiences available to students in the US, including internships, extracurricular activities, and travel opportunities.
Documents Needed To Apply For A Green Card
As a Nigerian who wishes to become a U.S Green Card holder, you will need the following documents to process your immigration process:
- For a completed Green Card application form, you’ll need a Form I-485 if you are applying in the U.S. and a Form DS-260 if you are applying from abroad.
- An Immigration Petition form that is specific to the applicant’s circumstances, which usually requires a sponsor who files the petition on the applicant’s behalf. This person will be required to follow a lengthy process for application as well, you should have this in mind when you are considering the application process timeline
- Biometric information, which will be organized as part of the application process
- Two recent passport photos
- Your current passport or travel document
- A birth certificate, translated into English if required. If the applicant doesn’t have a birth certificate, they must provide other documentation explaining why they don’t have one
- Attend an interview.
How To Apply For A US Green Card From Nigeria
If you want to apply from Nigeria or another country outside of the United States, you will need to apply through the U.S. consulate and follow the consular processing application process.
In general, all you need to do is:
- Collect and keep all relevant application processing documents in place.
- Get a sponsor to file an immigrant petition for you. This can be a family member or an employer, for example. In some cases, you can file for yourself
- If US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has approved the immigrant petition, you will need to confirm that there is an available visa in the category you are applying for. Also, you will need to file a Green Card application with the USCIS or a visa application with the U.S. Department of State.
- Show up for a biometrics appointment to provide photos, fingerprints, and signatures
- Attend an interview.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that the cost of your application for a Green Card will depend on the route you take.
Expect to pay around $1760 per person in application processing fees if you are applying from within the U.S.
If you’re applying from Nigeria or another country abroad your budget should be around $1200.
This does not include additional fees like the USCIS immigrant fee ($220), administrative fees, medical examination fees, document translation fees, and any legal fees if you require legal support with your application process.
