Permanent Resident Card

Form I-551 or the permanent resident card is the dream of many immigrants as it gives the liberty to live and work in any of the 50 states in the United States. Form I-551 is popularly known as a green card because when the card was originally released it was green in color. Despite it not being green anymore, the name has stayed in popular usage to refer to the US permanent resident card.

Every green card holder who is above 18 years of age is expected to carry the green card with them always and they are to be produced for due verification when requested by government officials.

There are several benefits with having a US permanent resident card like:-
Liberty to live, work and travel anywhere within the United States
Have the eligibility for social security retirement benefits and other kinds of welfare benefits given by the government.
Green card holders can attend school with a normal American tuition fees. They need not pay multifold fee applicable for foreigners if they gain US permanent resident card.
They can sponsor to bring in their relatives to the US.
They can purchase assets legally.
They can start their own business

A green card or a permanent resident card can be availed by the following routes:-
Green card by marriage
Green card for fiancée or fiancé
Green card for employment
Green card by investment
Green card by adoption
Green card by diversity visa lottery

A green card entitles one with almost all the benefits of a US citizen apart from the right to vote in federal elections. If a green card holder shows a good moral character without any criminal convictions and has proof of having had physical presence in the US for the required period of time then they can apply for US citizenship by naturalization.

Green card or a permanent resident card is a status to live and work permanently in the US. Any permanent resident who participates in anti-democratic activities against the government can at anytime be deported despite holding the green card.

Also any person who has acquired US permanent resident card manipulatively by furnishing wrong information lives with the danger of having the status cancelled when the USCIS happens to discover it at a later stage.

Honesty and direct approach should be employed in getting the green card and any kind of manipulation can attract future dangers.