How to Get a Green Card

Although my husband's situation was somewhat difficult, I felt confident enough, with this book as my guildline, to do everything without the help of a lawyer (which, as those of you in a similar situation know, can be very expensive).

Through my experience, I also have found that the anecdotes and random advice (such as how to present one's self in the interviews and how to deal with the long waits at the INS offices) were right on the mark.


More useful than I would have imagined...   June 30, 2010
Rachel Romano (Torino, Italy / Dayton, Ohio USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Firstly, as stated in the product information about this book: This book is not appropriate for those seeking work-related green cards. It mostly targets how to get a family related green card.

Secondly, this is a process that in most cases should only be attempted with the help of an attorney. That being said, this book will save you money on attorney fees by helping you walk through certain steps yourself without the costly assistance of an attorney.

My personal experience: I am an American married to an Italian living outside the US at the moment. We have been reading our US consulate website here in Italy, going through endless forms, trying to understand which of those forms and rules apply to us, how much it will cost, when to make a trip to the consulate (9 hours away). This book breaks down by chapter and section which forms apply to which situation, what you can mail in, when you have to appear in person, cutting out a lot of the seemingly endless research as to what we can and should do for my husband to be able to one day return with me to the US.

Some readers are upset by the fact that there is a lot of talk of visas, however in many cases, a valid visa must be presented in order to obtain a green card. Without that step our application would be denied, ruining future chances of my being able to reapply for residency. This is a detail that would have been foolish on the part of the author to overlook (thankfully they didn't). Each situation is explained and then a sample of the actual form is shown. I am impressed with how easy this book was to read as well as how clearly everything was presented. I wish the governmental websites were as easy to read and understand, but I'm glad I found this book to make the process easier. Good luck readers and thanks to HOLO for a great guide for green card applicants!


Comprehensive Manual on the Subject   April 23, 2010
William Bagley (Ashland, Oregon)
I generally only choose to review books about meditation and spirituality, but found this book interesting in regard to a subject that has been a concern for many international friends and contacts. Part of my life I was both a Court Clerk and Paralegal. From this standpoint, I can appreciate something that is well organized and presents almost everything that you need to know, including some special tips that you cannot usually get without some experience. For instance, the authors recommend not having this book with you when you come to America as a tourist (and also not to have any letters or items that suggest that you are getting a job as soon as you come here or anything that suggests that you are coming here for anything other than a simple visit as a tourist). I use the word "almost" in a previous sentence in order to be precise. The book very quickly tells you what kind of green cards or permanent residence it can help a person with and what kinds it cannot. It limits itself to what is legal and straightforward, cases with no special complications. It outlines grounds for inadmissibility and how a person might be able to legally have these grounds lifted, and what are the odds of this happening. The book is loaded with charts, bullet points, grey text boxes, pictures of sample forms (the book does not have usable forms, since it says that these get updated too much to be relevant, but shows where the forms can be obtained), and outlines. The book itself is organized with an implicit outline to make referencing the relevant parts (to each case) easy. There are stories of actual cases to highlight some of the suggestions and what to do. All in all, I wish more legal books were as well organized as this one. While this book might not handle every possible situation, it is a good place and a low cost place to start. I would recommend it for anyone who needs to get familiar with the basic issues and laws. Even if a person needs to seek legal help or a lawyer, I think a person would be better prepared for having studied this first. There are sections, too, on how to build up a paper trail that supports making your case (proving, for instance, that the marriage is not sham but a genuine one).


Good Introduction For Immigration   May 2, 2010
C. Hutton (East Coast, USA)
This ninth edition of "How to get a Green Card" (2010) is a clear introduction to the beaucratic maze of applying for a green card. The authors have organized the information in a logical manner and in a readable style. The various application forms are presented with explainations and with realistic "guesses" how long the processing takes in certain circumstances. If the reader has a complex situation, then this is not the book for you and the authors advise the reader to obtain a good immigratation lawyer. This is a large trade edition book, rather than a tiny paperback.


Practical, Just In Time, Just What You Need Info   May 7, 2010
Jean Marrapodi (Providence, RI United States)
I work for Literacy Volunteers and our ESL population always has questions relating to citizenship, visas, green cards and other things I don't have personal experience with. This book is a godsend. It provides useful references, forms and clear explanations.

The one downside is that the language is targeted for good readers. ESL students will need help to get through this. NOLO always does a great job providing plan-English help for the average user. With some help, our students will be able to find the information they need.