An immigrant is a foreign national who is authorized to live and work permanently in the United States. You must go through a multi-step process to become an immigrant based on employment:
- The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USICS) must approve an immigrant petition (application) that was filed for you, usually by an employer.
- In most employment, a U.S. employer must complete a labor certification request (ETA 750) for you from the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration.
- The State Department must give you an immigrant visa number, even if you are already in the United States.
- If you are already in the United States, you must apply to adjust to permanent resident status when a visa number becomes available.
