Each year, many USCIS forms and petitions are filed by US immigrants. Some forms are more common than others, and popular forms tend to be popular year in and year out. In most years, the most popular US immigration forms filed each year include:
- US green card renewal. While permanent residency status is permanent, green cards are not. US green card holders need to renew their green cards when those green cards expire, generally every 10 years. In addition, US green card holders are obligated to carry their US green card with them at all times. Unfortunately, this does make it more probable that green cards will get damaged, lost, or stolen. It is a misdemeanor to not carry a valid green card. Therefore, each year hundreds of thousands of US green card holders need to apply for green card renewal because their green cards are expired, lost, outdated, or stolen.
- Applications for naturalization. US citizenship offers many benefits and rights, including the right to vote. US citizens can live and work in the United States permanently, travel freely, carry a US passport, sponsor relatives to come and live in the United States, and work in government jobs. US citizens can even run for office. Since there are so many advantages to US citizenship, many qualified US green card holders who have maintained residence in the United States for at least five years are often interested in naturalization. As a result, the application for naturalization is one of the most common applications filed with the USCIS.
- US green card applications. Permanent residency in the United States carries many benefits, including the right to live and work in the United States permanently, freedom to travel in and out of the United States, and the ability to sponsor relatives. Many people who wish to immigrate to the United States like the idea of obtaining a US green card to ensure that they are always qualified for employment. There are many paths to obtain a US green card, including employment sponsorship, the diversity visa lottery, and family sponsorship. As a result, there are many types of US Green card applications available. However, as a whole, US Green card applications make up a significant percentage of all US immigration forms filed each year. There are a limited number of US green cards available to employment sponsored applicants, family sponsored applicants, and DV program participants. Nevertheless, most years many more thousands of people apply then are green cards available.