When an individual enters the United States with a temporary visa in his/her passport or a travel document (parole, etc.), s/he must 'adjust status' to permanent residence if s/he would like to stay in the United States permanently. To be eligibility to adjust status, an individual must either have a qualifying family relationship, must have a job with qualifications that meet certain requirements, or meet one of the other grounds. These are further described in the following links:

FAMILY MEMBERS

EMPLOYMENT BASED APPLICATIONS

ASYLUM/REFUGEE CLAIMS

REGISTRATION BASED ON ENTRANCE BEFORE JULY 1924, JANUARY 1972, or JANUARY 1982

DIVERSITY LOTTERY

SELF-PETITIONERS

When one applies for permanent residence, the government will do a thorough criminal, immigration, financial, and even medical check to verify certain issues that the applicant is 'admissible'. Applying for permanent residence without checking these issues or consulting with an attorney could result in unexpected results, including eing removed from the country (deported).

THESE ARE GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS; EACH CASE IS SPECIFIC; EXCEPTIONS APPLY IN SOME CASES