Just what is a Green Card anyway? A Green Card is an identification card attesting to the permanent resident status of an alien in the United States of America. It can also refer to the immigration process of becoming a permanent resident. The Green Card serves as proof that its holder, a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), has been officially granted immigration benefits, which include permission to reside and take employment in the USA.

The holder must maintain permanent resident status, and can be removed from the US if certain conditions of this status are not met. Green Cards use to be issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), but after 911 and the forming of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the INS was absorbed into the DHS. Under the administration of the DHS, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is the bureaucracy now responsible for issuing Green Cards.

Some facts about Green Cards we all should know:

• When an alien (foreigner) holds a legal Green Card, it entitles him or her to two very important permits while in the United States- a temporary work permit formally called an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and a temporary travel document, advance parole, which allows the alien to re-enter the United States. Both permits confer benefits that are independent of any existing status granted to the alien.

• Being an LPR is not the same as being a citizen of the United States. Lawful Permanent Residents generally do not have the right to vote, the right to be elected in federal and state elections, the ability to bring family members to the United States, or eligibility for federal government jobs.

• The term “permanent” as used in LPR is probably more closely associated with the term indefinite. The Green Card has to be renewed every 10 years and continued residency is conditional. The issuance of the card to an alien will allow the alien to remain in the United States indefinitely if the card is renewed on time and he or she abides by the conditions set forth at the issuance of the card.

• An LPR can elect to become a naturalized citizen of the United States after five years residency.

• An LPR can elect to become a naturalized citizen of the United States after three years residency if married to a citizen of the United States.

• An LPR can elect to become a naturalized citizen of the United States after four years residency if residency was received through political asylum.

• Male LPRs between the ages of 18 and 26 are subject to register for the Selective Service System.

• Green Cards got there name because the cards were originally green in color. Today, the cards look similar to most driver’s license having the picture, thumb print, and other identification of the LPR along with the United States Seal. They are no longer green in color.

• Permanent residents who reside in the US must pay taxes on their worldwide income, like U.S. citizens.

What has been the Green Cards impact on Miami, Florida? Florida has over 18 million residents today of which, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 20 percent of them are foreign born. Since 2000, it is estimated there has been an increase of around 40% in foreign born residency. Miami, Florida has a population of over two million residents. Applying the state percentages of foreign born residents and taking into consideration that it takes at least five years before an LPR can become a citizen, there could be well over one hundred thousand Green Card holders in the Miami area alone. Since there is just over one million jobs in the Miami area, the implication is that at least ten percent of those jobs are held by Lawful Permanent Residents. (Note: These statistics have been taken from Government census charts and are approximations intended for generalizations. They are not intended to be used as detailed and exact data for research)

If you know someone who is seeking permanent lawful status, to immigrate, or become a citizen of the United States, contact us right now at www.immigrationlawstation.com, and we will help you find an immigration attorney in your area who will answer any legal questions you may have about immigration law.