The Rights and Duties of Green Card Holders
The reason is took on the name "green card" is because the light olive green background that the card possessed, specifically from 1946 through 1964, and again beginning in 2010.
The holder of a permanent residence card, or green card, obtains certain rights in the United States.
Among them, are the rights to stay in the country indefinitely, the ability to work at any job for which they are qualified to do, and the right to obtain citizenship after a certain number of years, depending on their situation.
There are several classifications for eligibility to qualify for applying for a residency.
They are grouped into three categories.
The first is the family qualification.
An applicant can apply for a a residence card if they immediate family members who are either citizens or permanent residence, depending on the situation.
There is a group of eligibility classifications that have to do with employment.
If a worker can find certain work, or in some cases, if an employer chooses to sponsor a worker, there are eligible classifications for applying for a permanent residency.
The third group is for refugees or asylum seekers.
Each of these three categories also has quotas set on how many residents can enter in a given year.
The number of applicants typically exceeds these quotas, and the waiting time for an applicant can be anywhere from a few weeks to several years, depending on type of eligibility that the individual has.
Other rights afforded to card holders are the rights to petition for a family member to enter the country.
A resident pays taxes and is eligible for public assistance.
One can also start paying in on the Social Security program and expect to receive benefits from that program once eligible.
Penalties also exist where one can lose their issued card.
The holder must obey laws and not be convicted of any crime.
If a card holder has entered the country because of relationship to a spouse, that relationship must continue for a specified period of time.
Likewise, if a card hold entered under employment eligibility, the term of employment must continue for a specified period of time.
If a permanent resident takes a job in another country, their residence ends in this country.
If one leaves the country and does not return for one year, the process must start again.
Finally, not paying ones taxes violates the conditions of their residency.
Many people seek to enter the United States in a legal manner.
By doing so, they are afforded certain rights and a path to citizenship.
This is considered by most to be an honorable opportunity.