Getting a Green Card
如何拿到绿卡
A green card is an official document identifying a person as a permanent resident of the United States.
绿卡是美国签发给外国公民的永久居住许可证。
It does not give citizenship to the card holder but permits him or her to live and work legally in the country.
持有绿卡并不等于获得公民身份,而是允许持卡者在美国合法居住和工作。
There are many ways to get a green card.
获取绿卡有很多方式。
One common way is through family members who have American citizenship.
其中一种常见的方式是:通过拥有美国国籍的家庭成员来申请,
America gives special consideration to husbands, wives, children and parents of American citizens. Green card holders can also nominate their husbands, wives and children for green cards.
即申请人是美国公民的配偶,子女或父母。
A foreign citizen who has been offered a job in America can request a green card.
另外,如果外国公民在美国找到工作,也可以申请绿卡,
The employer would serve as sponsor in that case.
在这种情况下其雇主也可以做他的担保人。
There are also green card qualifiers for some non-citizens who invest in America, and for refugees.
此外,那些在美国投资的外国公民或者难民也可申请绿卡。
Still all these paths leave out many people who want a green card.
尽管有诸多途径可以获得绿卡,仍然有许多人无法申请到。
So, each year America carries out a lottery that provides about 50,000 green cards to lucky winners.
美国政府每年举行一次“移民大抽奖”获得,5万名中奖者将获得绿卡。