Episode 2 of the Maze: An Overview of U.S. Immigration Law

1. Categories of individuals -

   1. U.S. citizens.

   2. Legal permanent residents (green card holders).

   3. Asylees and refugees.

   4. Non-immigrants (temporary visa holders).

   5. Asylum applicants in the US.

   6. People outside the US with no visa status.

   7. People inside the US with no visa status (undocumented people).

2. Routes to U.S. permanent resident status -

   1. Family-Based immigration: Immediate Relatives and Family Preference Categories.

   2. Employment-Based immigration.

   3. DV (Diversity) lottery.

   4. Asylum/Refugee designation.

3. Employment-Based Immigration -

   1. EB-1A Extraordinary Ability.

   2. EB-1B Outstanding Researcher or Professor.

   3. EB-1C Intracompany Transferee Manager.

   4. EB-2 PERM Labor Certification.

   5. EB-2 NIW (Matter of Dhanasar).

   6. EB-2 PNIW (Physician National Interest Waiver).

   7. EB-3 PERM (professional, skilled worker, and other worker).

   8. EB-4 Religious Workers.

   9. EB-5 Investors.

4. Family Immigration -

   a. Immediate Relatives.

   b. Family Preference Categories.

5. Processing Time versus Priority Date/Quota System.