Building a new life in the United States of America is a dream that a lot of people want to achieve. But, obtaining a long-term visa or a work visa for the USA is not easy and has never been easy. It is so difficult to obtain a visa because a lot of people want to experience those benefits of being an American citizen. The people that have managed to grab a conditional green card are worried whether non-US citizens can apply for unemployment and get a paycheck.
Since you are here reading this article, I assume that you are also a non-US citizen living in the USA. Considering these troubling times in 2024, the coronavirus pandemic, and the financial destabilization because of it, a lot of people have lost their jobs. If you find yourself amongst those people, you will probably want to apply for unemployment and get a payment that can help you sustain yourself and your family.
Well, you will not have to worry anymore or search any further because this article is going to focus on that exact subject.
Benefits of applying for unemployment insurance
The United States of America and almost every other first and second world country provides unemployment insurance for the people. Without it, a lot of citizens in the country could get into some serious trouble. This is an important aspect of every country that helps people strive.
The main benefit of applying for such insurance is the fact that you can get a weekly, monthly, or yearly payment that can help you during your unemployed period. Another benefit is the fact that the US government will try to find a job for you to assist you in becoming employed. Obviously, the job offers that you will be getting won’t exactly be perfect, but it is still better than nothing, right?
Keep in mind, you will not be covered under this insurance forever. I cannot exactly tell you how long you will be receiving payments from the government because it varies from person to person. Someone will be eligible to get 18 months of insurance while another will get only five or six. It all depends on different factors.
Conditional green card holders can apply for unemployment
This is the answer to your question that you have been searching for. Put it simply, yes, if you have are a conditional green cardholder, you can apply for such insurance even though you are not a US citizen. And no, you will not be cut from any kind of benefits. You will get the same treatment as any other American. You will get full payment and you will constantly get different job offers.
However, there is one disadvantage to being an immigrant in the USA. As I said previously, you are eligible to get all those benefits, but there are a lot more things that factor ran for your eligibility. Let us talk about exactly which things you have to consider.
You must not have been the reason for losing your job
If you want to obtain those benefits of unemployment insurance as an immigrant in the United States of America, there is one thing that you must remember. You must not be the reason for losing your job. Or, officially put. You must not be the reason for your termination. For example, if you have been fired because you do not show up at work regularly, your lazy, you do not feel like working, you make regular mistakes, fail a drug test, or by ruining the environment in the offices you are not eligible for payment. You will not get those benefits because it is your fault why do not have a job.
However, if the reason for losing your job is not because of you and because of your boss, that is a completely different story. These days, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is common that businesses make a lot of budget cuts, firing a lot of employees. If you find yourself to be amongst those that have been fired then you are definitely eligible to apply for unemployment.
Look for a new job
Another thing that the US administration will factor in when you apply for the insurance is whether you have been actively looking for a new job. If you have stopped working several months ago and you do not do anything about that, your application may be refused. The USA is looking for people that are ready and willing to work. Those that simply have no interest in finding a new job are not eligible for unemployment.
Prove your work history
Since you are here without any work in the US, I assume that you have at least worked for several months while you are here. Well, if you have, that is a good thing because the US government does not provide this insurance to build that has not worked previously.
To be more specific, if you want to qualify for this, you will need to prove at least six months of employment in the last year. Remember, I am not talking about overall. I am talking about the amount of time you have worked in just one year. So, if you have had a job for five months, this year, while in the USA, your application will be refused.
Although, this requirement can vary from state to state. One state’s standard will be that you have worked for a certain amount of months while another requires that you have made a certain amount of money.
Conclusion
If you fulfill all of these requirements I mentioned above, you do not have to worry about getting payment as an immigrant in the USA. It does not even matter if you have gotten your green card through a lottery. If you visit here, you can see that there are websites out there that can help you clear all kinds of things regarding immigration in the United States. As you can see, on i-Immigrate.org, you also have an eligibility test to see whether you apply for the US green card lottery. Everything regarding moving to the United States can be found on this site so make sure you check it out if you plan to relocate.
