A green card is the federal government’s proof that a foreign national has been granted lawful permanent residence in the United States, which carries the right to live anywhere in the country and to work in almost any job, indefinitely. The nickname goes back to the 1940s, when the first cards issued under the Alien Registration Act were printed on green paper. The status behind the card is powerful, but it is not citizenship, and it comes with obligations that catch a lot of new residents off guard.
What a Green Card Lets You Do
The core benefit is simple: you can live in the United States without a visa and without the risk of being removed just because a visa expired. Employment authorization comes with the status. The card is a List A document on Form I-9, which means it establishes both identity and work authorization on its own, and an employer should not ask for additional documents.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents A narrow set of positions tied to national security or particular government contracts stays limited to citizens, but those are the exception.
Permanent residents can start businesses and own property. They qualify for federal student financial aid, including Pell Grants and federal student loans, under the same rules as citizens.2Federal Student Aid. Eligibility for Non-U.S. Citizens The card itself functions as a primary identity document for opening bank accounts, getting a driver’s license, and claiming Social Security benefits.
Travel gets easier too. You can leave the country and return without applying for a new visa each time, so long as your trips do not raise abandonment concerns (more on that below). And you can petition for certain relatives to immigrate. USCIS lets a green card holder sponsor a spouse, unmarried children under 21, and unmarried sons or daughters of any age through the family preference system.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Family of Green Card Holders (Permanent Residents) Those relatives still have to wait for a visa number in their preference category, but your status is what opens the door.
What a Green Card Does Not Let You Do
Permanent residence is not citizenship, and the gap shows up in a few concrete places.
Voting
Federal law makes it a crime for any noncitizen to vote in an election for President, Vice President, or a member of Congress. A violation is punishable by a fine, up to one year in prison, or both.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 18 – Section 611 Beyond the criminal penalty, voting illegally as a noncitizen can permanently destroy eligibility to naturalize and can trigger removal proceedings. Some local jurisdictions do allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections, but those ballots have to be run independently of any federal race.
Jury Service
Federal and state jury pools require U.S. citizenship. If a summons arrives, respond and indicate you are not a citizen. Ignoring it, or falsely claiming citizenship on the response, creates its own legal problems.
Selective Service
Male permanent residents between 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of turning 18 or within 30 days of entering the United States, whichever comes later.5Selective Service System. Who Needs to Register Failing to register can block eligibility for federal financial aid, federal job training, and, critically, naturalization down the line.
Tax Filing and Foreign Account Reporting
The IRS treats every green card holder as a resident alien for tax purposes. You must file a U.S. income tax return reporting worldwide income, no matter where you live or where the income is earned.6Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About International Individual Tax Matters This surprises residents who keep earning income abroad and assume it sits outside the U.S. system. If you are also a tax resident of a country with a U.S. income tax treaty, tie-breaker rules may apply through Form 8833, but that takes careful analysis.
Green card holders with foreign financial accounts whose combined value tops $10,000 at any point during the year also have to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.7Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Report Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts The FBAR is due April 15 following the calendar year being reported, with an automatic extension to October 15 that does not require a separate request.8Internal Revenue Service. Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) Penalties for willful failures can reach tens of thousands of dollars per violation.
Keeping the Card and the Status
Permanent residents are required to carry a valid, unexpired card at all times.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) Standard cards are valid for ten years, and you renew by filing Form I-90 before the printed expiration date.10USAGov. Renew or Replace Your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) An expired card does not automatically end your status, but it creates practical problems with employers, border officers, and anyone else who needs to verify your authorization.
Conditional Cards From Recent Marriages
If your permanent residence is based on a marriage that was less than two years old when your status was granted, the card is valid for only two years. During that period you are a conditional permanent resident, and you must file Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence) to show the marriage is genuine and convert to full permanent status.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage Waivers of the joint filing requirement exist for divorce, spousal abuse, or the death of the citizen spouse.
Trips Abroad
This is where residents lose status without realizing it. An absence of more than six months can raise questions about whether you have abandoned your residence. An absence of more than one year without a re-entry permit generally means you will be treated as seeking a new admission when you return. The longer you are away, the harder it is to prove the United States is still your permanent home.
To protect the status during a long trip, file Form I-131 for a re-entry permit before you leave. You have to be physically present in the United States when you file. The permit is generally valid for two years, but it drops to one year if you have been outside the country for more than four of the last five years since becoming a permanent resident.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Travel Document (Form I-131) USCIS does not extend re-entry permits, so plan the trip against the permit’s window.
Address Changes
Any noncitizen in the United States has to report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving by filing Form AR-11.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card It can be done online or on paper. Small step, real rule: missing it is technically a violation of federal law and can surface in later applications.
Conduct That Can Cost You the Card
Permanent residence is not irrevocable. Federal law lists specific categories of conduct that make a green card holder deportable, and the consequences are often harsher than people expect.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 8 – Section 1227 Deportable Aliens
- A conviction within five years of admission for a crime involving moral turpitude, where the potential sentence is one year or longer, is a deportable offense. Two or more such convictions from separate incidents at any time after admission also qualify.
- A conviction for an aggravated felony at any time after admission is a ground for removal. The immigration-law definition of aggravated felony is broader than most people assume and can sweep in offenses that are not felonies under state law.
- Any conviction related to a controlled substance after admission is a deportation ground, with a single narrow exception for personal possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.
- Any conviction involving the purchase, sale, possession, or use of a firearm or destructive device after admission is deportable.
- Convictions for domestic violence, stalking, child abuse, or child neglect, as well as violations of protection orders involving credible threats or bodily injury, all trigger deportability.
Removal for criminal conduct can also permanently bar re-entry and eliminate eligibility for most immigration relief. If you are a permanent resident facing criminal charges, talk to an immigration attorney before entering a plea. A resolution that looks minor in criminal court can be catastrophic on the immigration side.
From Green Card to Citizenship
The card is the main gateway to naturalization. Most permanent residents become eligible after five years of continuous residence, with at least 30 months of physical presence in the United States during that period.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I Am a Lawful Permanent Resident of 5 Years Residents married to a U.S. citizen can apply after three years, provided they lived in marital union with that spouse for the entire three-year period and were physically present for at least 18 months.16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I Am Married to a U.S. Citizen
The application is Form N-400. As of March 2026, the filing fee is $760 for paper submissions or $710 online, with a reduced fee of $380 for applicants who qualify based on income.17U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization Applicants must show the ability to read, write, and speak English, pass a civics test on U.S. history and government, and demonstrate good moral character throughout the statutory period. That last piece is where criminal history, tax compliance, and Selective Service registration all come back into play. You also have to have lived at least three months in the state or USCIS district where you file.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I Am a Lawful Permanent Resident of 5 Years
One trap worth flagging: extended trips abroad can break continuous residence for naturalization at lower thresholds than they break the green card itself. If citizenship is the goal, pay close attention to travel history well before the five- or three-year mark.