Shane van Gisbergen says he would like to go home to New Zealand during NASCAR’s off-season but the Trackhouse Racing driver says he can’t leave the United States until he acquires his Green Card.
Officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, a Green Card is a document that gives a non-U.S. citizen the right to live and work permanently in the United States.
“I would really love to go home for summer and see my family, but I can’t at the moment,” Van Gisbergen says.
Van Gisbergen, who has two more years on his contract with Trackhouse, says acquiring a Green Card is a “complicated process.”
Acquiring a Green Card involves petitioning, filing, biometrics and an interview. First, Trackhouse must file an immigrant petition. Once the petition is approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Green Card application is submitted. Next comes fingerprinting, a photograph, and the applicant’s signature for background and security checks. A medical exam is required and then an in-person interview where everything is reviewed. If approved, the person receives a physical Green Card.
“We’re doing it the right way. It’ll be interesting to see what happens,” Van Gisbergen said.
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.
