How do I get a U.S. Green Card as an Optometrist?

[HunOpt]

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How do I get a U.S. Green Card as an Optometrist?
I am currently a Canadian citizen that will be attending school in the states on a studies-related visa (aka just an I-20 form/F1 visa) which starts in august. In 2015, I will be a graduated and licensed Optometrist. I would have lived in the U.S. for 4 years and attained my O.D. doctorate here. I want to work in the U.S after. How can I get my green card?

Exclusions:
- I do NOT have any relatives in the U.S.
- I do NOT want to work for someone once I am done school, i would like to start my own practice in the states.(so hopefully no H1B visa or whatnot).
- I do NOT want to marry someone in the states.

So essentially, is it too much to ask for to be able to live and work in the states after going to school there for 4 years and paying over 150 000 dollars to their US institution as a Canadian citizen? What are the possible routes to obtaining permanent residency status if I apply this summer before the start of school so that my student visa status is transformed to permanent resident status by the time i complete my doctorate in optometry? Thanks a lot for the help!

 

[Rhodopsin]

How do I get a U.S. Green Card as an Optometrist?

I'm from Canada too, graduating 2015 also. Apparently if you invest $50,000 in US medical services (through buying into a practice in our case) you can stay there by getting a green card! I was told this at my interview. Obviously having 50 grand to spare after graduating is impossible unless if you have other means of obtaining the cash, but nevertheless that's how it's done 😀

 

[cjensen20]

the only ways to get a greencard is through

Marriage
Employment (sponsorship)
asylum
and this method of paying absurd amounts of money as you mentioned, that frankly, I didn't know existed
there are some other ways as well....

why do you need a greencard?

just to work?

you could get permission to work by filing
I-786 (at least thats what it was in our day) - i dont think student visas can apply for work.

or by changing your visa

anyway all the info on that could be found on the USCIS site
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

 

[KHE]

How do I get a U.S. Green Card as an Optometrist?

I'm from Canada too, graduating 2015 also. Apparently if you invest $50,000 in US medical services (through buying into a practice in our case) you can stay there by getting a green card! I was told this at my interview. Obviously having 50 grand to spare after graduating is impossible unless if you have other means of obtaining the cash, but nevertheless that's how it's done 😀

It's not $50,000 it's $500,000. AND you must invest that $500,000 in a rural or high employment area. You can't invest it in New York City.

If you want to go this route and invest in an area that's NOT rural or high unemployment, the requirement is a million dollars.


www.uscis.gov

Click on Green Card
Click ON Green Card through job
Click on Green Card through investment.

I also see that the processing time just for the visa approval for that type of visa can be up to one year. That does not include the actuall issuance of the visa which comes from a separate government agency. THEN you have to apply for the greencard which can take ANOTHER year.

Again....these are not the droids you're looking for.