The United States of America is one of the most popular countries for immigrants from around the world and the Green Card is the most highly sought-after document for people who want to make their dream of living in the USA come true.
A U.S. green card allows a person to live and work in the United States and start the process to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. This card makes the holder a permanent resident of the United States, entitled to many of the same benefits as a citizen, but not all.
If your home country allows dual citizenship, you can apply to become a U.S. citizen, without having to give up your current nationality. As a green card holder, you stand to enjoy a host of benefits, including but not limited to the following:
Benefits of being a US Green Card holder
- You can live in any of the 50 states of the U.S.
- You can enter and leave the U.S. any time you want; immigration officials can’t deny you entry.
- You don’t need to fill out the I-94 form, and you don’t have to worry about your authorized stay becoming expired. The green card status has lifetime validity, though the card needs to be renewed every 10 years.
- You are allowed to work in the U.S. without needing an employer sponsorship, and you are not subject to restrictions like the type of job and weekly working hours. Some jobs are only open to U.S. citizens and green card holders due to security clearance requirements; this provides more job opportunities for those with green cards.
- You can apply for financial sponsorship from the government to pursue action.
- College and university tuition fees for green card holders are usually three to four times less than that for foreigners.
- You can start your own business or even create a corporation.
- If you have worked for 40 quarters, about 10 years, then are eligible for Social Security benefits upon retirement.
- Unlike a temporary work permit holder, you need not worry about any changes in the immigration rules.
- You are legally capable of sponsoring your spouse and unmarried children below 21 years for permanent status.
- Most of the banks insist that a non-citizen have a green card or a long-term visa as a prerequisite for sanctioning a mortgage, and some banks have preferential interest rates for green card holders. This makes it easy for holders of green cards to get home loans, also at a lower interest rate.
- Some of the states in the U.S. require you to hold a green card to get a license to have certain jobs, such as an insurance agent or real estate agent. Having a green card clears any barriers to holding these positions.
- Most of the health and life insurance companies in the U.S. issue policies to immigrants only if they have green cards.
- You can buy a car, own property, and get a firearms license just like any American citizen does.
- You can make contributions to political campaigns
- Except for the right to vote, a green card gives you almost all legal rights that are available to U.S. citizens.
Responsibilities of Having a Green Card
Once you are a green card holder, you hold certain responsibilities as a legal permanent resident of the United States.
- Green card holders, like U.S. citizens, must file income tax returns and report income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and state tax authorities.
- Green card holders are obligated to obey the laws of the United States, their state of residence, and their local jurisdictions.
- Male green card holders, between the ages of 18-25, must register for the Selective Service. (Note the United States has not had a draft since 1973).
- Green card holders must carry a valid green card at all times. Not having a green card on you can lead to up to 30 days in jail.
- Green card holders, like U.S. citizens, may not engage in any attempts to change the form of government through illegal means.
Other Things to Know
While green card holders can live and work in the United States, and enjoy most of the same benefits as a U.S. citizen, permanent residents are not U.S. citizens and because of this do not have the full rights of a citizen. Limitations include:
- Green card holders do not have the right to vote.
- Green card holders do not have as high a priority in sponsoring other family members for green cards as U.S. citizens.
- Green cards themselves are non-transferable and are not automatically extended to children born outside the United States.
- Green card holders may not run for political office.
- Green card holders are not issued a U.S. passport.
- Green card holders who leave the U.S. permanently after 8 years or more are subject to expatriation and exit taxes, as would apply to a U.S. citizen renouncing their citizenship.
- Full protection from deportation is not guaranteed to green card holders. But as a reminder, green card holders are protected from deportation should U.S. immigration law change.
- Green cards must be renewed every 10 years.
Green Card vs. U.S. Citizenship
A green card and U.S. citizenship both give you the legal right to live and work in the United States. However, there are some fundamental differences between the two.
If you are looking to permanently immigrate to the U.S., obtaining a green card is the first step toward it. Green card holders usually have to wait several years before becoming eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship, through the process of naturalization.
Other eligible ways of being a U.S. citizen include;
- Being born in the U.S.
- Being born outside the U.S. to a U.S. citizen
- Living as a child in the U.S. when either of the parents is naturalized.
- The only way a foreigner can become a U.S. citizen without holding any immigration status is by serving in the U.S. military.
Benefits of Having U.S. Citizenship
U.S. citizenship gives you the permanent right to live in the U.S. It’s the highest status you can get under U.S. immigration laws. Some noteworthy benefits of having U.S. citizenship include the following:
- It grants you the right to vote.
- Compared to green card holders, you can also sponsor more foreign national members of your family to stay with you in the U.S.
- Unlike green card holders, U.S. citizens can’t be deported. An immigrant’s citizenship can be cancelled only if it was obtained through fraud.
