¿Cuáles son los diferentes tipos de tarjetas verdes (Green Card o Tarjeta de residente permanente)?

Kevin Swartz • September 8, 2022

Click here to read this article in Portuguese and English

    Si bien hay muchos tipos diferentes de visas, se dividen en dos categorías: inmigrantes y no inmigrantes, es decir, permanentes y temporales. Esta publicación de blog cubre la visa de inmigrante, también conocida como la "tarjeta verde". Hay muchos tipos de tarjetas verdes y se dividen aproximadamente en cuatro categorías:

1. Basado en la familia


Para aquellos cuya familia incluye a un ciudadano estadounidense, se aplican las siguientes visas:


  • Visa IR-1: si es cónyuge de un ciudadano estadounidense

  • Visa IR-2: si es hijo soltero de un ciudadano estadounidense y tiene menos de 21 años.

  • Visa IR-3: si es un niño adoptado en el extranjero por un ciudadano estadounidense

  • Visa IR-4: si es un niño adoptado dentro de los Estados Unidos (después de haber sido traído a los Estados Unidos) con el propósito de ser adoptado por un ciudadano estadounidense.

  • Visa F3: si está casado y es hijo de un ciudadano estadounidense. Esto se aplica a su cónyuge e hijos también.

  • Visa F4: si es hermano de un ciudadano estadounidense. Esto se aplica a su cónyuge e hijos también.


Para aquellos cuyos familiares incluyen un residente permanente legal (LPR) en los Estados Unidos, se aplican las siguientes visas:


  • Visa F2A: si es cónyuge o hijos menores de un LPR

  • Visa F2B: si no está casado, tiene más de 21 años y es hijo de un LPR

2. Basado en el empleo


Para aquellos que tienen o tendrán un empleo dentro de los Estados Unidos. Se aplica lo siguiente:

  • Transferencia de Visa H-1B a Tarjeta Verde

Una vez que tenga una visa H-1B válida, su empleador debe presentar ante el Departamento de Trabajo de los Estados Unidos (DOL) una Certificación Laboral Permanente (PERM). El empleador debe demostrarle al DOL que no pudo encontrar un ciudadano estadounidense calificado para el puesto de trabajo. Hay varios pasos para que el empleador satisfaga este criterio, que incluye intentos reales de reclutar ciudadanos estadounidenses para el puesto y anuncios publicados para el puesto dirigidos a ciudadanos estadounidenses.


  • Visa EB-1 para Trabajadores Prioritarios. Esto incluye:

o  Profesores académicos e investigadores excepcionales

o   Gerentes y ejecutivos excepcionales

o   Aquellos con habilidades excepcionales en los negocios, las artes, las ciencias, la educación o el atletismo

o   Si se encuentra dentro de una de esas categorías, debe demostrarle a USCIS que está en la cima de su campo, según el cumplimiento de criterios específicos.


  • Visa EB-2 para aquellos con títulos avanzados o habilidades excepcionales. Esto incluye:

o   Aquellos con habilidades extraordinarias en el arte, los negocios y la ciencia.


Esto es similar a un EB-1, y los requisitos son menos estrictos. Sin embargo, el tiempo de procesamiento para un EB-2 puede ser mucho más largo, necesitará una certificación PERM a menos que pueda demostrarle a USCIS que renunciar al requisito sería de interés nacional (también conocido como Exención de interés nacional), y necesitará un empleador actual o potencial para patrocinar su solicitud.


o   Aquellos con títulos avanzados (por ejemplo, Maestría o Doctorado)

o   Médicos que servirán en áreas desatendidas en los Estados Unidos.


  • Visa EB-3 para trabajadores calificados/profesionales. El tiempo de procesamiento puede llevar varios años. Al igual que el EB-2, necesita un empleador actual o potencial para patrocinar su solicitud. Esta visa se aplica a:

o   Aquellos con títulos de licenciatura

o   Trabajadores calificados con un mínimo de dos años de experiencia

o   Trabajadores no calificados


  • Visa EB-4 para inmigrantes especiales y trabajadores religiosos. Esta visa basada en el empleo se aplica a:

o   Aquellos que trabajan para el gobierno de los Estados Unidos en el extranjero

o   Locutores

o   Traductores iraquíes/afganos

o   Empleados de organizaciones internacionales sin fines de lucro

o   Médicos

o   Ciertos miembros activos y retirados de las fuerzas armadas y sus cónyuges e hijos


  • Visa EB-5 para inversionistas. Esto incluye:

o   Aquellos inversionistas que crearán un mínimo de 10 empleos de tiempo completo en los Estados Unidos e invertirán al menos $ 500,000 en la economía de los Estados Unidos.


3. Basado en residentes que regresan


Para aquellos que eran LPR pero abandonaron el país por más de un año (lo que cancelará una tarjeta verde válida). La siguiente visa se aplica a los LPR que abandonaron los Estados Unidos por más de un año debido a circunstancias fuera de su control:



  • Visa SB-1. Ejemplos de circunstancias fuera del control de uno incluyen:

i. Enfermedad repentina o enfermedad que impidió viajar de regreso a los Estados Unidos.


ii. Embarazo en el que el médico desaconsejó los viajes internacionales


iii. Sus documentos de inmigración le son retenidos en contra de su voluntad.


iv. El país al que viajaste prohíbe la salida


4. Basado en la diversidad


Comúnmente conocida como la "Lotería de la tarjeta verde", este tipo de tarjeta verde se otorga al azar a un porcentaje muy pequeño de los que la solicitan. El proceso de selección está diseñado para evitar que una nación extranjera tenga sustancialmente más visas otorgadas para sus ciudadanos que para las de otras naciones extranjeras. Hay muchas reglas, limitaciones y excepciones para quién puede presentar una solicitud. Pero en general, usted debe:


  • Ser de un país en el que menos de 50,000 nativos de ese país hayan emigrado a los Estados Unidos en los cinco años anteriores. En 2019, esto excluyó a los de Bangladesh, Brasil, Canadá, China, Colombia, República Dominicana, El Salvador, Haití, India, Jamaica, México, Nigeria, Pakistán, Perú, Filipinas, Corea del Sur y el Reino Unido (excepto Irlanda del Norte) y Vietnam.

  • Tener al menos 18 años

  • Haber completado la escuela secundaria y tener un diploma de escuela secundaria o título equivalente

  • Tener al menos 2 años de experiencia laboral en los últimos 5 años


Muchos de los que no son elegibles para una visa de inmigrante (tarjeta verde) pueden ser elegibles para una variedad de visas de no inmigrante. Si se otorga una visa de no inmigrante y el peticionario posteriormente se vuelve elegible para una tarjeta verde, la visa de no inmigrante no es una barrera para solicitar una tarjeta verde.


Este blog no pretende ser un consejo legal y nada aquí debe interpretarse como el establecimiento de una relación abogado-cliente. Programe una consulta con un abogado de inmigración antes de actuar sobre cualquier información que lea aquí.


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