Applying for a US Green Card is a long process. Sometimes, in certain situations, time in not on your side. In some cases and although rare, you can make a request for the USCIS to expedite the processing of Form I-485 to adjust your status to a permanent resident, and thus get your Green Card in a shorter time frame.

Requests to have your Green Card application expedited (i.e. Form I-485) are discretionary and subject to the approval of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Criteria For Expediting a Green Card

USCIS requires that one or more of the criteria below are met to be considered for the USCIS to expedite the processing of your Green Card application (i.e. Form I-485):

• Severe financial loss to company or individual

Example 1: The applicant is currently working for a company in the US and in order to continue working he needs to obtain his/her Green Card. In this case, you would need to convince USCIS that your position in the company is essential and that the company will lose a substantial amount of money if you do not receive an expedited Green Card.

Example 2: US citizen spouse does not work and the family would suffer severe financial loss if the foreign national does not obtain an expedited Green Card.

• An extreme, emergency situation

Example: The foreign national fears persecution or serious harm in his or her home country if forced to leave the United States because the application is not approved within a certain time frame and that no other options exist to keep you in the US.

• Humanitarian situation

Example: The foreign national is afflicted with a serious health condition and requires an expedited Green Card in order to maintain his or her medical condition If forced to leave the US, he or she may enter into a state of serious bodily harm and/or death.

• An error made by USCIS

Example: USCIS issued an Request for Evidence in error when the evidence requested was already provided in the initial green card application causing an unnecessary delay. An expedited Green Card can be requested to make up for the lost time.

Expedited Green Card Processing Times

The standard processing time for a Green Card processed from outside the US is 8-12 months in several circumstances.

However, the USCIS can sometimes take as little as 3 months to process your Form I-485 to adjust status to a Permanent Resident. If USCIS agrees that you meet the criteria for an expedited Green Card request, they will process your petition as quickly as possible, depending on the reason for expedition. Some expedited Green Cards are approved in a few weeks, while others still take a few months. There is no set processing time once a Green Card is approved for expedited processing, as they are reviewed on a case by case basis.

Supporting documentation is the best way to prove you are eligible for an expedited Green Card and should be sent along with the application.

If you have questions about the green card process, complete a free case assessment with one of VISANOW’s immigration specialist.