Practice Areas

Rights and Obligations of the Green Card Holder

As a legal permanent resident (LPR) many rights are bestowed upon you, but with those rights come many obligations that must be met.  LPRs share most of these rights and obligations with U.S. citizens.  For instance, LPRs are subject to the same tax filing requirements and are subject to the same tax rates and deductions as U.S. citizens.  LPR males between the ages of 18 and 25 are required to register for the U.S. military service just as U.S. citizen males are required to do.  Other basic rights include the right to reside and live anywhere in the U.S., the right to be employed in the U.S, the right to travel freely without any restrictions across U.S. borders and the right to access social security, social programs and many other benefits for yourself and your family.
 
However, LPRs cannot vote and are not entitled to some public benefits.  Some government jobs or government contract jobs are not available to them as they require U.S. citizenship.  Also, unlike U.S. citizens, LPR are subject to removal from the United States if they commit certain acts, such as specific types of crimes or if they misrepresent their immigration status.

The right to travel is also somewhat limited.  Unlike a U.S. citizen, an LPR should not be absent from the United States for more than six consecutive months per year, otherwise they endanger their LPR status.  If they are going to be out of the country for a prolonged period of time, they must obtain a reentry permit to get back into the U.S.

One of the most important legal rights the green card gives to LPR is the right to obtain U.S. citizenship after five years, or three years for spouses of U.S. citizens, so long as presence requirements are satisfied.  Another benefit is that LPRs may also petition the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for immigrant visas for  family members and employees.