US Offers Unique Green Card Pathways to Citizens of Over 5 Countries Under 'Other Categories'
- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services published a Green Card eligibility page listing 7 countries with special pathways under the 'Other Categories' section
- Liberia is the only African country named on the list, under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness programme
- Haiti also appears on the list under a separate pathway, while Cuba, Canada, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos round out the 7 countries with unique routes
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The US Citizenship and Immigration Services] has outlined a set of special Green Card pathways grouped under "Other Categories".
According to the USCIS Green Card Eligibility Categories page, seven countries are specifically named in this section: Cuba, Canada (for Native Americans born there), Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Haiti, and Liberia.
What the Pathways Cover
Haiti's inclusion on the list operates differently. Haitian nationals may benefit if they are the spouse or child of a lawful permanent resident who already obtained a Green Card under the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act.
Protections for abused spouses and children under that Act are also listed separately.
Other Countries and Pathways on the List
Cuba is covered under the Cuban Adjustment Act, which allows Cuban natives or citizens, as well as their spouses and children, to apply.
Abused spouses and children of Cuban nationals are also listed as a separate sub-category.
Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos fall under the Indochinese Parole Adjustment Act of 2000, which applies to nationals of those countries who were paroled into the United States on or before 1 October 1997 from Vietnam under the Orderly Departure Programme, a refugee camp in East Asia, or a displaced persons camp administered by the UNHCR in Thailand.
Canada's entry on the list is narrow: it applies only to American Indians born in Canada who possess at least 50% American Indian blood and maintain their principal residence in the United States.
Two additional categories on the page are not tied to specific nationalities. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Programme is open to anyone selected through the Department of State's diversity visa lottery.
The Section 13 diplomat pathway covers foreign diplomats or high-ranking officials who were stationed in the United States and are unable to return to their home countries.
The USCIS page also notes that persons born in the United States to foreign government employees, where neither parent held US citizenship at the time of birth, may be eligible, though an interim rule on this category published on September 4, 2026 is currently subject to a court injunction and is not being implemented for members of the certified class.
US speaks about employment based green cards
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that United States government published the categories of workers eligible to apply for an employment-based Green Card under three preference tiers.
Professionals with extraordinary ability, advanced degrees, and skilled trades all appear on the USCIS list of qualifying occupations.
Source: Legit.ng
