The easiest way to explain how you can live and work in the U.S. is to give a summary of U.S. immigration law. This is the “big picture.” Once you see all of the possibilities, it can help you decide which option will work best for you. U.S. Immigration has two main categories: permanent residence visas (also called “immigrant visas” or “green cards”) and temporary residence visas (also called “non-immigrant visas”). 1. PERMANENT RESIDENT VISAS (GREEN CARDS) A permanent resident visa, or green card, is normally what people want, because it permits PERMANENT residence in the U.S. A person with a green card can generally live anywhere in the U.S. and can work for anyone without restriction. But, a green card is difficult to get. There are four main ways to get a green card: Family sponsored green cards Employment based green cards Green card lottery (diversity green card), and Political Asylum. To qualify for a family sponsored green card, you ...