Green card. It’s a term that is used often. But people don’t use the term very carefully. What does “green card” actually mean under the United State’s Immigration and Nationality Act?
“Green card” simply has no legal meaning whatsoever. Instead, it’s basically immigration slang. The problem is that people use it to refer to at least three immigration concepts. And these three concepts are very different from one another. Let’s have a look.
A green card, which is issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), lets you live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. While there are several avenues to getting a green card, including through family, employment, or status as a refugee or asylee, not everyone qualifies.
Even if you do qualify, wait times under certain family or job status categories can be as long as 20 years. If you do not qualify—or if you want to “roll the dice” while waiting—the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program popularly known as the green card lottery might be for you.
There are plenty of scammers out there ready to take your money in exchange for useless or even harmful information. You may run across private websites (many of them look legitimate) that offer everything from tips on winning the green card lottery to secrets to help you “game the system.” Some even offer to help you apply—all for a fee, of course.
You may also receive fraudulent emails, letters, and other types of communication that try to convince you that you have been selected as a lottery winner.
Here’s what you need to know:
If you feel you do need professional help with the application process, the USCIS provides many helpful resources. This includes ways to spot con artists, as described above.
Winning the green card lottery does not guarantee you a green card; it grants you the opportunity to apply for one.
In a Nutshell
If you’re a lawful permanent resident of the United States applying efor citizenship or filling out other government forms, you may need to enter your green card number. This guide explains what the green card number is, how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses it, how to locate the number on your green card, and how to understand what the different parts of the green card number mean.
What Is the Green Card Number?
Your green card number is a 13-digit number that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assigns to your specific green card application. Your green card number is printed on your permanent resident card. The green card number is sometimes called a “case number,” “permanent resident card number,” or an “I-551 receipt number.” Form I-551 is the form number for a green card.
Your green card number is not the same thing as your alien registration number (A-number), which is also printed on your green card. Your green card number is also not the same thing as your USCIS number, which can be found on the front of your card.
Where Is the Green Card Number on Your Card?
If you have the current version of the green card, you’ll find your green card number printed on the card’s backside at the bottom. Your green card number is in the first line of a long string of 90 characters, made of letters, numbers, and less-than symbols (<<). Your green card number begins with three letters and ends with 10 numbers. For example:
Sample Green Card – Back
Sample Green Card – Front
If you have an older version of the green card, your number may be at the bottom of the front of your card. For example:
Sample Green Card – Old Version
On much older green card versions, there is no green card number on the card. If your card has no green card number, it means that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was not using the green card number at the time they issued your card.
Understanding the Green Card Number Format
Finally, your green card number comes next. The first three letters of your green card number represent the service center that processed your card. Each USCIS service center has a three-letter code:
For example, if your green card number reads EAC 20 005 40421, you know that your green card was processed in the Eastern Adjudication Center (EAC), which is now the Vermont Service Center.
The next part of the green card number represents what’s called the “computer workday.” A computer workday is a three-digit number based on the regular 365-day calendar, which excludes weekends and holidays. So, in our sample green card number, EAC 20 005 40421, the government agency received the green card application on the fifth workday of fiscal year 2020.
The final part of the green card number is the 5-digit case number. In our example, the green card holder’s case number is 40421. Your case number is unique to you and represents the number USCIS assigned to the green card application that they ultimately approved.
A U.S. green card will let you live and work lawfully in the United States as a permanent resident. Lawful permanent resident status is not the same as citizenship. Still, it comes with immigration benefits like work authorization. There are various types of green cards. This article explains what a green card is, the different types of green cards available, who can apply for them, and the green card application process step-by-step.
What Is a Green Card?
A green card is also sometimes called a permanent resident card. It is the document you receive when you become a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Permanent residence is a type of immigrant visa that allows foreign nationals to live and work lawfully in the United States. Green card holders can also become U.S. citizens after three or five years of permanent residence status. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible for approving green card applications.
There are many ways to become a U.S. permanent resident, and there are several different green card types. There are family-based green cards, including marriage-based green cards for both same-sex and heterosexual couples. There are also humanitarian green cards, employment-based green cards, and other special categories of green cards.
What Is the Difference Between a Green Card and Citizenship?
Having a green card does not make you an American citizen. A green card is proof that USCIS has granted you permanent residence in the United States. While in permanent resident status, you can live and work lawfully in the United States but don’t have permission to vote in U.S. national elections. On the other hand, a U.S. citizen can live, work, and vote in all state and national elections. Green card holders can become U.S. citizens through the process of naturalization once they have been permanent residents for three or five years.
What Are Family-Based Green Cards?
Family-based green cards allow immediate relatives of U.S. green card holders and U.S. citizens to live and work in the United States. “Immediate relatives” are close family members, namely spouses, parents, unmarried children, and siblings. Widows and widowers of U.S. citizens can also apply for this kind of green card.
There is not a different process for marriage-based green cards for same-sex couples under U.S. immigration law. As long as you can prove that you have a real and legal relationship with your U.S. citizen or green card-holding spouse, you can apply for the green card.
What Are Humanitarian Green Cards?
The U.S. government also gives some green cards to foreign nationals based on humanitarian reasons. People seeking refugee and asylum status, abuse and crime victims, and human trafficking victims can apply for this type of green card.
In general, the application process for humanitarian green cards is not simple. It would be best if you got an experienced immigration attorney’s guidance with it. The USA.gov website has free and low-cost legal services that you can access.
Humanitarian Green Cards for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
People who enter the United States as refugees and asylum seekers can apply for a green card to allow them to live and work lawfully in the United States.
By definition, refugees send their applications from abroad to seek protection in the United States from the violence and persecution in their home country. Asylees, however, are those who fled to the United States before officially applying for protection.
Refugees and asylees can apply for a green card once they have been physically present in the United States for at least one year. Children and spouses of asylees may also get asylum status and eventually, a green card.
Humanitarian Green Cards for Abuse Victims
Through the Violence Against Women Actp.org/learning-center/vawa (VAWA), you can apply for a green card without your abusive relative knowing. The abusive relative could be a violent spouse, parent, or child who is a green card holder or U.S. citizen. USCIS processes VAWA green card cases without letting the abusive relative know.
VAWA applies broadly to any applicant in an abusive situation. This means that not only women, but also LGBT-inclusive and transgender persons, men, children, and parents can apply for a green card under VAWA.
If you, or someone you know, are a victim of abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline. You will get guidance on action plans and legal assistance. You can call the hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or, if you have a hearing disability, at 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).
Humanitarian Green Cards for Crime Victims
Victims of serious crimes involving major physical and mental abuse can apply for a U visa first, and then a green card. The U visa is a special nonimmigrant visa for documented and undocumented foreign nationals, to seek protection against violent crimes like sexual assault, kidnapping, and torture.
Law enforcement officials must vouch for your eligibility for the U visa. You also have to agree to help law enforcement investigate and prosecute the crimes you’re seeking protection from.
A person with U visa status can apply for a green card if they pass other eligibility requirements like:
If you think you qualify for the U visa or if you have a U visa and want to get a green card, talk to an immigration lawyer for assistance with the process.
Humanitarian Green Cards for Human-Trafficking Victims
Similarly, if you’re a victim of human trafficking in the United States, you can apply for a T visa. The T visa is a special immigrant visa that allows victims of human trafficking to live in the United States for up to 4 years. You can only apply for the T visa if you agree to assist law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting human trafficking crimes. However, if you’re under 18 years old, you don’t have to assist law enforcement in this way.
To qualify for a green card, a T visa holder must meet one of these physical presence conditions:
You can read the complete list of eligibility requirements on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
What Are Employment-Based Green Cards?
It is also possible to get a green card through your U.S. employer. This category of green cards allows foreign nationals of “exceptional ability” to live in the United States and contribute to the U.S. workforce and economy. To apply for an employment-based green card, your U.S. employer will have to be the petitioner, except in very few cases.
What Are Diversity Lottery Green Cards?
The diversity visa lottery (green card lottery) is another way for foreign nationals to become U.S. permanent residents. Every year, the U.S. Department of State publishes a list of countries whose citizens can participate in the lottery for a diversity immigrant visa. These countries have a low number of immigrants to the United States and only people from countries that are on the list can apply for the lottery. The lottery selects 50,000 people.
If your home country makes it to the list, you can try your luck and submit an entry for the green card lottery. No country gets more than 7% of the total green cards available in the lottery.
What Are Longtime Resident Green Cards?
Foreign nationals who have lived in the U.S. either lawfully or unlawfully since January 1, 1972, can apply for a green card. The U.S. immigration law calls foreigners who fall into this category “longtime residents,” and they can apply for a green card through a process called “registry.”
As a longtime resident, you can apply for a green card if you meet these additional eligibility requirements:
What Other Kinds of Green Cards Are There?
Besides the main green card categories discussed in this article, there are still many other kinds of green cards that you can apply for. Some groups called “special immigrants” under U.S. immigration law can apply for permanent residence. Examples include Cuban citizens, employees of specific international organizations, American Indians born in Canada, religious workers, and Iraq and Afghanistan citizens who have served the U.S. government in specific ways.
What Is the Green Card Application Process?
The first step is usually for the green card sponsor to submit a petition on behalf of the beneficiary (green card applicant). This is typically the case for family-based and employment-based green card petitions. You need to prove that they have a familial relationship or employment relationship with a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or employer that makes them eligible for the green card.
Beneficiary Submits Application
After USCIS receives and approves the green card sponsor’s petition, the green card applicant can now submit their green card application. You will either submit an adjustment of status (if applying from inside the U.S.) or a consular application (if applying from outside the U.S.). If the U.S. government has a yearly quota of the green card type you’re applying for, you may have to wait to receive a visa number before submitting a green card application. The visa bulletin on the State Department’s website contains information about the current number of visas available.
You’ll also have to submit required supporting documents like tax returns, birth certificates, and others with your green card application forms. All of this information is on the USCIS website.
Biometrics Appointment
After submitting the green card application, USCIS or your local U.S. embassy will schedule a biometrics appointment for you where they’ll collect your fingerprints, photograph, and signature. The U.S. government runs your biometric information through the FBI’s database to check that you do not have criminal activity on your record. Crimes may disqualify you from getting a green card.
Green Card Interview
The green card interview is one of the most critical parts of the green card process. The green card interview will either happen at a USCIS office. or a local U.S. embassy or consulate if you’re applying from outside the United States.
Receive Decision on Green Card Application
The U.S. government will either approve or deny your green card application. You will often receive this decision at the green card interview or shortly after the interview. You can check your application case status on USCIS’s website.
How to become a US citizen?
you have lived and been married to a US citizen for at least three years and have spent at least 18 months of that time together in the USA
If you pass the test, you will be invited to the naturalization ceremony. Here the Green Card is handed in, and the American passport is handed out.
In the course of this, the social security data should be changed, and your right to vote should be registered.
How long is a Green Card valid?
Once you have received the Green Card, it is valid for a lifetime and can only be revoked under the above conditions. However, the Permanent Resident Card must be renewed after ten years, similar to an identity card. If you fail to comply with this renewal, you will be liable to pay a fine.
Where and How to Register
It’s important that you read the instructions carefully, noting all required documentation including your passport number, photos, and so forth. The U.S. State Department video tutorial on registering for the green card lottery explains the steps as well.
Green card meaning #3 – U. citizenship.
This last use of the term “green card” is just completely wrong and totally misleading. But even lawyers sometimes don’t understand the difference between U.S. citizenship and lawful permanent residency. For most of our clients, the most important difference is that U.S. citizens are no longer subject to U.S. immigration law. That is, they can come and go from the U.S. as they please, and it’s almost impossible to lose status as a U.S. citizen. Citizens – but not residents – have the right to vote in federal elections. Once someone has become a citizen, they are considered a full member of our society. As we always tell our clients, once they become citizens they have exactly the same rights and responsibilities as any other American.
What Are Your Chances?
The DV program issues 50,000 immigrant visas annually, based on the results of a random drawing. The visas are apportioned among countries with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S.
For fiscal year 2021, the most recent figures available, more than 11.8 million people applied to the green card lottery. The first 50,000 to register, after notification, were the “winners” for that year. The reason for drawing more than 50,000 names is that not everyone selected will start the green-card application process, and some who do will not complete it.
Key Takeaways
The online registration period for the DV Program typically runs between early October and November each year. You should register as early as possible once it opens. If you wait until the end of the sign-up period, you could miss out due to heavy website traffic. Late entries will not be accepted.
Can I stay in the US without a Green Card?
Immigration, meaning permanent residence with free choice of residence and job, is only possible with a Green Card or US citizenship.
There are, of course, various visa categories, e.g., a student visa, for which you can apply. However, these are always issued for a limited time and are also tied to strict requirements, such as employment with a specified employer.
From the State Department: “Alien petitioners for the Diversity Visa Program will no longer be permitted to submit a petition by mail. Instead, the Department will require that all petitions be submitted to it in an electronic format, using an Internet website dedicated specifically to the submission and receipt of Diversity Visa.”
Requirements for a Green Card
Permanent residents who are 18 or older are required to carry their green cards at all times or face fines or jail time. The fine can be up to $100 or 30 days in jail. The cards expire after 10 years and must be renewed, except for those issued from 1979 to 1989, which never expire. Conditional permanent residents who obtain legal status through a recent marriage or investment must file a petition to remove their conditional residency 90 days prior to their green card expiration date.
The green card lottery system is officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program or Diversity Program (DV). The first one was officially held in 1994, but the program existed under different auspices since 1986 and with smaller limits. The reason why the U.S. has this system is to give countries with low immigration rates to the U.S. a chance of winning a green card. It also pays homage to America’s heritage as a cultural melting pot.
Applications for the green card lottery have continued to rise—hitting roughly 23 million in 2018—but only about 116,000 of these applicants were granted visas.
Currently, the DV program gives away upwards of 55,000 visas per year. Countries that have more than 50,000 residents legally immigrating to the U.S. in the last five years are not allowed to participate. If your spouse wins so do you as long as you are registered and all unmarried children under 21 will also be given a green card. Your family must be listed on the application for you to win.
A green card is a colloquial name for the identification card issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to permanent residents who are legally allowed to live and work in the U.S. indefinitely. Green cards got their nickname because they were green in color from 1950 to 1964. In 2010 they became green again, but the nickname persisted during the intervening decades of blue, pink, and yellow “green cards.”
The Bottom Line
Because applying for the green card lottery is free, even if you are “in line” waiting for your green card through another avenue, you may want to consider applying for the lottery, just in case.
How can I get a Green Card?
There are three ways to obtain a Green Card:
There are different requirements depending on which category is chosen.
Which forms have to be submitted depends on the Green Card category the applicant is applying for.
US DV Lottery -Are you eligible?
Can I bring my family if I win?
Unmarried children under 21 years of age and, under certain circumstances, also adopted children and stepchildren, and spouses can also receive a Green Card at the same time as the main applicant.
Older children can receive a Green Card by making a later application as part of a family reunion.
Married children, regardless of age, parents, or siblings, can only receive a permanent residence permit through a relationship with a US citizen. This means that the Green Card holder can be naturalized after three or five years and then apply for a Green Card for his or her family members.
Should the family status change during the course of the Green Card application, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must be notified immediately.
This applies primarily to marriages that are entered into during the Green Card process, as well as to natural, adopted, and stepchildren born or added during this time. Therefore, to increase your chances of getting a Green Card, both spouses should always participate in the DV Lottery!
Apply now & win a Green Card
Green card meaning #2 – work permit.
But there are many, many other forms of temporary work visas. Each of these is designated by a letter of the alphabet. So this is sometimes referred to as the “alphabet soup.” Some common examples of temporary visas include:
It is important to understand that there is no general line to “stand in” for a temporary work permit. The ability to apply is always tied to a particular work authorization category, such as the ones listed above.
Do I have to immigrate?
The US authorities only issue a Green Card if they are convinced of the applicant’s intention to immigrate. Therefore, the permanent residence permit should not be regarded as a possibility to enter the USA for business or holiday trips in the future. Instead, the focus must be on long-term emigration.
However, especially in the initial period after receiving the Green Card, the authorities are aware that not everyone is able to suddenly give up their previous life and move to the USA. Therefore, especially in the first one to three years, commuting between the United States and the home country is not a problem.
Green Card Design
In order to make counterfeiting more difficult, the design of the Green Card has changed several times since its introduction in the 1950s. Not only have obvious features, such as the color, been changed, but various security features have also been regularly added or modified.
Since then, the signature of the Green Card holder is no longer shown on the card:
Increasing Your Diversity Visa Odds
Even though you are entering a random drawing, there are a couple of legitimate (and free) things you can do to increase your chances of winning. Both you and your spouse—if both are eligible—should apply. This gives you two chances to win, as opposed to one. If one of you wins, the other can ignore his or her application and enter as a derivative spouse.
As there is no limit on the number of eligible members of the same family that may apply, your children should also enter if they meet the educational or work experience requirements. You should note that if one of them wins, they will not be able to bring you to the U.S. immediately, but will be able to start a process that could get you there eventually.
Advantages of a Green Card
The US Green Card is one of the most sought-after immigration visas worldwide. Holders of this Permanent Resident Card can benefit from a variety of advantages:
As an employee
Certain limited permits, such as business licenses or trade licenses, can be obtained more easily and quickly.
As a student
Note: For this entitlement, you must have lived in the USA for at least five years
Who Is Green Card Eligible?
Before registering for the green card lottery, you should determine if you are eligible. You must be eligible by country as well as by education or work experience.
Diversity visas go to natives of selected countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States in six geographic regions Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and the Southern Americas (including South America, Central America, and the Caribbean nations). The list of countries is subject to change each year and appears on the Diversity Visa entry instructions.
If you were not born in an eligible country, you may still qualify for the DV program if your spouse was born in an eligible country, both of you are named on the same entry, and both of you intend to enter the U.S. at the same time.
Also, if you were born in an ineligible country—but neither of your parents was born in or legal residents of that country at the time of your birth—you may still qualify, assuming one of your parents was born in an eligible country.
Education or Work Experience
In addition to eligibility based on country of birth, you must also meet certain education or work experience requirements in order to register for the green card lottery. Basically, this means that you must have a high school education (or equivalent) or two years’ experience within the past five years in a qualifying occupation.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*Net Online database can be used to determine if your work experience is sufficient.
Green card meaning #1 – lawful permanent residency.
People most often use the term “green card” to refer to the concept of lawful permanent residency. A lawful permanent resident or LPR has the ability to live and work indefinitely in the United States. That means, unless the person does something to lose her status, she can live and work in the U.S. for as long as she wants. LPRs are still subject to immigration law, however. So if the person commits a crime, for example, she can be placed into deportation proceedings and lose her “green card.”
LPRs are also subject to restrictions on foreign travel. The purpose of this “green card” is to live in the United States. Under immigration law, if the person spends too much time outside of the country, the person is considered to no longer be a U.S. resident. As a general rule, the “green card” holder should not spend more than 6 months at a time outside of the United States.
How does someone get residency status? The most common route is through a family member. The process is different depending on whether the person is inside the United States already or applying from outside the United States. Additional routes include less common strategies like U-Visas for crime victims or VAWA petitions for abuse survivors. In limited situations, an employer may start the petition process. But this is generally limited to certain high-skill jobs.
Winning a Diversity Visa
Winning the green card lottery does not result in your automatically getting a green card in the mail. If you are lucky enough to win, all it means is that you may have won the opportunity to apply for a green card.
You can find out if you are a lottery winner on or after May 8 by going to the DV Entrant Status Check link online. If you have won, you will be directed from there to a confirmation page with further instructions.
As roughly 125,000 names are drawn, with only 50,000 eligible to actually receive a green card, everyone whose name is drawn is put on a waiting list and given a number. If your waiting list number is high, and there are 50,000 people ahead of you who have also successfully completed their paperwork, you won’t get a chance to apply, let alone receive a green card.
Currently Living in the U.
The United States Permanent Resident Card (official: Form I-551, colloquial: Green Card) is an identification document of the United States. Upon application, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues the document to persons who are not yet U.S. citizens but who have settled in the United States with the intention of immigrating. Holders of the card are known as Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) or in short Permanent Residents. The name Green Card is derived from the first ID cards, which bore green lettering and a greenish-colored photo.
The Green Card differs from other visas in allowing its holder to stay and work in the USA for an unlimited period of time; it is not pasted into the passport like any other visa but forms an independent identification document. The legal status of permanent residence in the USA is the middle of three stages on the way to being naturalized:
How a Green Card Works
Individuals can be eligible for a green card through family, work, refugee, asylee status, or a variety of special programs. These include the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, which makes up to 55,000 visas available each year through a lottery system targeted at underrepresented countries. Making investments above a certain threshold can entitle an investor to permanent resident status.
Conclusion – no more “green card
Instead of using the term “green card,” we encourage you to use the more accurate immigration concept. If you mean lawful permanent residency, say so. If you’re referring to temporary work authorization, be clear. This will help you communicate more clearly, whether to a lawyer or someone else. It also shows that you know what you’re talking about.
Sound Immigration
All Sound Immigration attorneys are members of the American Immigration Lawyers Associations. They practice immigration law exclusively, focusing on helping families start new lives in the United States.