Lawful permanent resident status is the legal classification that lets a foreign national live and work anywhere in the United States indefinitely, one step short of citizenship. Federal law defines a lawful permanent resident (LPR) as someone “lawfully accorded the privilege of residing permanently” in the country as an immigrant, with that status still intact.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1101 – Definitions The physical proof is the Permanent Resident Card, officially Form I-551 and commonly called a Green Card.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.1 List A Documents That Establish Identity and Employment Authorization The status is broad, but the obligations attached to it are strict, and violating one can end your right to be in the country.
What You Can Do as a Permanent Resident
Holding a Green Card means you can accept a job from any employer in the United States without separate work authorization or employer sponsorship. That’s a fundamental difference from most temporary visa holders, who are tied to a particular employer and a fixed time window. The card serves as valid identification for federal employment verification.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
You are protected by the U.S. Constitution, including due process and equal protection. You can buy residential and commercial property, attend public schools, and enroll in public universities. Many states extend in-state tuition rates to LPRs after roughly 12 months of residence in the state, though the rules vary by institution.
You can join any branch of the U.S. military, which can speed up the path to citizenship. You can sponsor certain family members for immigration benefits by filing Form I-130, which is the first step toward getting a spouse or unmarried children their own Green Cards.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-130, Petition for Alien Relative You can legally purchase and possess firearms, since federal law restricts gun ownership for certain visa holders but not for LPRs, assuming no other disqualifying factor such as a felony conviction applies.
Workplace Protections
Federal law bars employers from discriminating against you because of your citizenship status. An employer cannot refuse to hire you, fire you, or demand different documents at hiring simply because you hold a Green Card rather than a U.S. passport.5eCFR. Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices Businesses with three or fewer employees are exempt, and an employer may prefer a citizen over an LPR when both candidates are equally qualified. Demanding extra documentation beyond what Form I-9 requires, or rejecting documents that appear genuine, violates the law.
Healthcare Access
You can buy insurance through the federal Marketplace and may qualify for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions if your household income falls between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level.6HealthCare.gov. Health Coverage for Lawfully Present Immigrants Medicaid and CHIP are more complicated: most states impose a five-year waiting period for new permanent residents before they can enroll, with Marketplace coverage and subsidies generally available in the meantime.
What Permanent Residents Cannot Do
Daily life as an LPR looks a lot like citizenship, and that is where people slip. Several important rights are reserved for citizens, and losing sight of them can cost you your status.
- You cannot vote in any federal, state, or local election. Voting as a noncitizen is a deportable offense, with an extremely narrow exception for people who reasonably believed they were citizens at the time. Registering to vote by checking a box that confirms citizenship can trigger the same consequences.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1227 – Deportable Aliens
- You cannot hold elected office at any level of government.
- You cannot get a U.S. passport. For international travel you use your home country’s passport with your Green Card.
- You generally cannot serve on a federal jury. If you receive a summons, respond and note your noncitizen status rather than ignore it.
The voting restriction carries the harshest consequences. Unlike most immigration violations, which allow some defense or waiver, voting as a noncitizen triggers mandatory removal proceedings with very limited exceptions.
Obligations You Must Meet
Carry Your Card
Federal law requires every permanent resident age 18 or older to carry the Permanent Resident Card at all times.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1304 – Forms for Registration and Fingerprinting Failing to do so is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 or up to 30 days in jail. Prosecution is rare in practice, but the requirement is on the books and can complicate encounters with immigration authorities.
Report Address Changes
If you move, notify USCIS within 10 days of the new address, either online through a USCIS account or by mailing Form AR-11.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Change of Address The penalty is more severe than most people realize: a misdemeanor with fines up to $200 or 30 days imprisonment, plus possible removal proceedings.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1306 – Penalties
File Taxes
You must file federal and state income tax returns every year, reporting your worldwide income. The IRS treats permanent residents as tax residents regardless of how much time you spend abroad in a given year. Not filing can jeopardize both your current status and any future citizenship application.
As you work and pay in, you accumulate Social Security credits. In 2026, you earn one credit for every $1,890 in covered wages, up to four credits per year, and need 40 credits (roughly 10 years of work) to qualify for retirement benefits.11Social Security Administration. Social Security Credits and Benefit Eligibility Those credits carry over if you naturalize.
Register with Selective Service
Male permanent residents ages 18 through 25 must register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of turning 18, or within 30 days of entering the country if already in that age range.12Selective Service System. Who Needs to Register Not registering can block a later naturalization application, since USCIS weighs it in evaluating good moral character.
Traveling Without Losing Your Status
Permanent residency assumes you actually live in the United States. Extended travel abroad can put your status at risk even if you fully intend to return.
The 180-Day Threshold
If you leave the country for more than 180 continuous days, you are treated on return as someone seeking new admission.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1101 – Definitions A customs officer can question whether you’ve abandoned residency and, in some cases, start removal proceedings. Shorter trips don’t automatically draw that scrutiny, but a pattern of frequent departures that leaves you spending more time abroad than at home can produce the same result.
Absences Over One Year
An absence of more than one continuous year creates a strong legal presumption that you have abandoned your status. At that point, your Green Card alone won’t get you back in. Before an extended trip, file Form I-131 for a Re-entry Permit while still physically in the United States.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records Instructions The permit is valid for up to two years and signals that your departure is temporary.
Even with a permit, keeping concrete ties to the U.S. strengthens your position: a bank account, tax returns, property ownership or a lease, and a state driver’s license all show you haven’t abandoned your home here. The permit doesn’t guarantee re-entry. It prevents customs from treating your absence as automatic abandonment.
If you stay abroad longer than intended for reasons beyond your control and your Re-entry Permit has expired, you may apply for a returning resident (SB-1) visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. You’ll need to prove you had LPR status when you left, always intended to return, and could not control the extended absence.15U.S. Department of State. Returning Resident Visas
How You Can Lose Permanent Residency
Status is not irrevocable. The government can start removal proceedings on several grounds, and some carry permanent bars on return.
Criminal Convictions
Certain convictions make you deportable. The two broadest categories are aggravated felonies and crimes involving moral turpitude.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1227 – Deportable Aliens An aggravated felony conviction often results in mandatory detention and a permanent ban. Crimes involving moral turpitude generally include offenses involving fraud, theft, or intent to cause serious harm. A single conviction within five years of entering the country can be enough, and two or more convictions at any time can do it.
Abandonment
Relocating abroad, not filing U.S. tax returns, or spending most of your time outside the country can all be treated as abandonment. You don’t have to declare that you’re leaving; the government can infer it from your actions.
Fraud or Misrepresentation
If you obtained your Green Card by lying on your application or concealing material facts, your status can be rescinded. Federal law makes anyone who procured an immigration benefit through fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact inadmissible.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens False information about criminal history or marital status is a common example. The government can pursue rescission years or decades later if fraud is discovered.
Smuggling other noncitizens, voting in violation of election laws, and, in some circumstances, becoming a public charge within five years of entry can also lead to removal.
Conditional Green Cards
Not every Green Card is the same. If you got your permanent residency through marriage to a U.S. citizen and the marriage was less than two years old when your status was granted, you receive a conditional card valid for only two years instead of ten.18U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Conditional Permanent Residence Investor-based Green Cards obtained through the EB-5 program also carry conditional status.
To keep your residency, file Form I-751 (marriage-based) or Form I-829 (investor) during the 90-day window before the conditional card expires. Miss that deadline and status lapses automatically, making you deportable. There is no renewal process for conditional cards. You either remove the conditions or lose the status.
Renewing or Replacing the Card
A standard Permanent Resident Card is valid for 10 years. The card’s expiration doesn’t end your status, but an expired card creates practical problems with employers, re-entry after travel, and REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses.
To renew or replace it, file Form I-90 with USCIS, online or by mail.19U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card The earliest you can file is six months before the card’s expiration date. If the card is lost, stolen, or damaged, file at any time. While you wait, the I-90 receipt notice paired with your expired card serves as evidence of status and work authorization for up to 36 months from the card’s expiration date.20U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Replace Your Green Card If your card is gone entirely, USCIS may issue a temporary stamp in your passport. Conditional residents with two-year cards cannot use Form I-90; they file I-751 or I-829 to remove the conditions.
Moving On to Citizenship
Permanent residency is often a stepping stone. Most LPRs can apply for naturalization after five years of continuous residence, and spouses of U.S. citizens can apply after three.21eCFR. General Requirements for Naturalization You also need physical presence in the U.S. for at least 30 months of those five years, or 18 months of the three for spouses of citizens.22U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Physical Presence
USCIS evaluates good moral character for the whole statutory period, looking at criminal history, tax compliance, child support, and Selective Service registration, and can consider earlier conduct if relevant.23eCFR. 8 CFR 316.10 – Good Moral Character You apply on Form N-400, with a filing fee of $710 online or $760 on paper; a reduced fee of $380 and full waivers are available for qualifying applicants.24U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization
Every applicant takes an English test and a civics test at interview. For applications filed on or after October 20, 2025, the civics test has 20 questions and you need at least 12 correct to pass.25U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. English and Civics Testing LPRs who serve honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces during a designated period of hostilities can skip the continuous residence and physical presence requirements entirely, and those who serve at least a year during peacetime receive reduced requirements.26U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization Through Military Service After approval, you take the Oath of Allegiance, at which point the restrictions on voting, jury service, and holding public office no longer apply.