Applying and obtaining a green card, will mean that there will be permanent resident rules, which must be followed. The green card holder is the individual who has been granted authorization to live in the United States and work on a permanent basis and is granted a permanent resident card. This card is known as a green card and usually the person applying is either sponsored by a family member or employer in the United States, though in some cases the individual applies on their own. There are some individuals, who become a permanent resident through refugee, asylee status or another type of humanitarian program.
Once authorized as a permanent resident, there are rules that are required to follow, including:
- Obeying all laws of the United States and those in the location where the individual resides.
- Support the democratic form of government and not to attempt changing the government through illegal means.
- If the individual is a male between the ages of 18 to 25 to register with the Selective Service. This will mean that the individual can be called for military service, if the drafting of potential military personnel is enacted.
- The individuals is required to file income tax returns and report income to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the state taxing authorities.
Rights as a U.S. Permanent Resident
As a permanent resident of the United States the green card holder has rights, to legally protect them.
- The individual has the right to live permanently in the United States, as long as they do not commit any actions under immigration law that would place them in a position to be removed from the U.S.
- The U.S. laws will provide protection, including state and local laws where the individual resides.
- The individual has the right to work in the United States in any position they are qualified, with the exception of some that are limited to U.S. citizens for security reasons. Employment positions that are limited will require the person to be an American citizen and once the green card holder has become a naturalized citizen, then they would be free to apply for this type of position.
Other benefits of being a permanent resident include the ability to apply to become a naturalized citizen of the U.S. This is done by submitting an application to the USCIS for approval and testing in English, civics and society. This can be a complicated process and the individual who decides they would like to become a United States citizen may have immigration lawyer questions to ask. The Wyoming immigration attorney can help to make this process less complex, while they cannot make the process or testing different, they can explain what to expect and ensure the application documents are properly submitted. Once this test is passed, then the green card holder will have the same legal rights as every other American citizen in the U.S.