Green Cards

A United States Permanent Resident Card, known popularly as a Green Card, is an identification card for a lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the United States of America who does not have American citizenship. It is proof that the holder has permission to conditionally reside and take employment in the U.S. The holder must maintain resident status by residing in the United States and can be removed if certain crimes are committed. Its former official title was Alien Registration Receipt Card (form I-151), and it is now officially called a Permanent Resident Card, also referred to as form I-551.

The name "green card" comes from the fact that the predecessor form I-151 (Alien Registration Receipt Card), introduced at the end of World War II, was printed on green paper. Form I-551 was adopted in 1977 and has been printed on paper of various colors, none of which were green, but the term "green card" has nonetheless remained in use. As of 2006, the card is mostly yellowish-white and the only prominent green feature is the background of the lettering on the back. A card includes the holder's name and photograph, and other information, and has been updated over the years with numerous anti-counterfeiting devices.

The card must be in the possession of the permanent resident at all times. This means the U.S. permanent resident must have a currently valid card on the person at all times, to show to a USCIS officer, if requested. Though non-American-citizens with permanent resident status are required to carry identification cards, American citizens are not required to carry any identification. Citizens are entitled to more constitutional rights than permanent residents, who are classified as aliens. Before September 11, 2001, while status was checked when one returned from foreign travel, the requirement to carry the green card was practically never enforced when the resident was traveling domestically. After that, officials from the Department of Homeland Security began occasionally asking people if they were US citizens or not, and in the latter case require that the person present their Permanent Resident Card or other proof of legal status.

Green cards were formerly issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). That agency has been absorbed into and replaced by the new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), formerly the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS), in the Department of Homeland Security.

If an immigrant wants to work while his application for a green card is pending, an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is needed.

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