A Green Card gives a foreign national permission to live, study and work in America and he can remain in the country as long as he wishes and as long as he maintains his lawful status in America. This Green Card is a document issued by the government of the United States and permanent resident cards will be issued only to the foreign nationals who are eligible and who qualify under certain categories. There are many benefits associated with this card and it is not that easy to obtain a Green Card. This Green Card is a document that many wish to obtain and some even wait for years to obtain this document as the country does not issue Green Cards to all the applicants and only a limited number of cards are being issued every year.Green Card is the common name for Form I-551 and it is also known as permanent resident card.
The immigration laws of the United States are strict and the applications for Green Cards will be strictly scrutinized. Nevertheless, there are some ways through which you can become a permanent resident and the most common ways are through marriage, through family based sponsorship and through employment. Green Card lottery is another way through which you can get a Green Card but the lottery program is open only to the nationals of certain foreign countries and not to all the foreign nationals.
The Green Card process involves several steps and you will have to follow all the steps and be patient as you may also be required to wait for years to get a Green Card but it is not impossible to get a Green Card. The benefits of the United States Green Cards are many and the Green Cards give the permanent residents the right to avail various benefits such as education assistance and permission to work. After obtaining a Green Card, a permanent resident can travel abroad and get back to the United States and he may not be questioned by the immigration officials as long as he follows the immigration laws of the country. Green Card holders cannot be out of status as the permanent resident status granted to them will not expire but permanent resident cards must be renewed as these cards are good only for ten years.
Permanent residents may apply for government sponsored aid for education and they may pay less tuition fees. Work permits or employment authorization documents may not be necessary as the Green Card holders can work anywhere in the United States and they can also start their own companies in America. Moreover, they can bring their spouses and children to the country by sponsoring them for permanent resident status. Green Card holders will be protected by the laws of the country and their permanent resident status will not affect their citizenship. Though they may reap most benefits of US citizenship, they cannot vote in federal elections. Once they fulfill the eligibility requirements for US citizenship, they can go ahead and file their US citizenship applications and obtain US citizenship.