What are Your Rights as a Green Card Holder in the US

"Green card" is the identity card given to an individual who has been granted the permanent residence status in USA. In official parlance, this card is termed an I-551, Permanent Resident Card or PRC.

Every year, the US government grants thousands of green cards to immigrants who can meet certain strict eligibility criteria. According to immigration lawyers, the conditions of eligibility are as follows:

• ·         Family relationship to a permanent resident or US citizen
• ·         Employment offer from an employer in the US
• ·         Investing substantially in any US business
• ·         Winning the diversity US visa lottery
• ·         Having spent more than a year as an asylee or refugee in the US
• ·         Qualified to belong to a category of what is termed special immigrants

Receiving a Green Card

You will not be granted a green card as soon as you have been approved for permanent residence statues. Immigrants arriving overseas do so with an immigrant visa, and are then issued a temporary I-551 stamp in their passports. Immigrants who have an ‘adjust status’ will be presented with a letter of approval. In either case, the green card will be delivered by mail after a few weeks, according to immigration lawyers.

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Limitations & Rights of Green Card Holders

A green card in effect accords its holder the lawful right to live as well as work in the US, as a permanent resident. A green card allows you to apply for jobs including many government jobs, although some jobs are reserved for American citizens. Green card holders are also eligible for education, health, and other benefits too despite America being trillions of dollars in debt. You are mainly eligible to work which is hopefully the reason you want to be a part of the American fabric.

A green card holder can petition for his/her spouse as well as unmarried children to obtain green cards of their own. However, they will be categorized as "preference relatives." In addition, because of the specified yearly limits on such visas they will have to be in queue until a visa is available for them.

You can maintain your current citizenship in your own native country, and also apply for US citizenship, subsequently. The time period to apply for citizenship is five years for green card holders in general, although it is only three years for those who were married to as well as living with a US national the whole time. If you need more information on this point, you can always consult an immigration attorney.

Green Card Expires in Ten Years

Formerly, green cards were issued open ended sans any expiration date, but USCIS changed the norms now and requires you to apply for a fresh green card every ten years. However, this does not signify that your permanent residence will expire after ten years, as the green card is proof enough. If by any chance you fail to renew your green card, you are in danger of getting into trouble with the USCIS if it finds out that that you have broken the law that requires you to carry a green card with you all the time.

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