File:2023_green_card_front.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
green card
Also known as lawful permanent residency, lawful permanent resident, green card status, permanent resident card, United States permanent resident, United States lawful permanent residency, greencard,
Key facts
- Type
- Personal identification document
- Issued by
- United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Purpose
- Identification
- Expiration
- 10 years (standard), 2 years (conditional)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- US Permanent Resident Card 2010-05-11.JPG
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Green Cards (United States)
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~40 min read
Article
A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. Green card holders are formally known as lawful permanent residents (LPRs). As of 2024, there are an estimated 12.8 million green card holders, of whom almost 9 million are eligible to become United States citizens. Approximately 18,700 of them serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Green card holders are statutorily entitled to apply for U.S. citizenship after showing by a preponderance of the evidence that they, among other things, have continuously resided in the United States for one to five years and are persons of good moral character. Those who are younger than 18 years old automatically receive U.S. citizenship if they have at least one U.S. citizen parent.