What is a United States Permanent Resident Card? It is essentially a U.S. Green Card. The formal designation for a "U.S. Green Card" is "Permanent Resident Card," which serves as proof that a foreign national has the right to reside and work in the United States long-term. It functions similarly to a "U.S. visa"; holders only need to present their "Green Card" when entering the U.S. border, without the need to obtain a visa in their passport. Because this card, which represents permanent residency, was originally green, it became known as a "Green Card."
The "Green Card" has used other colors in the past, but it has been green again since May 2010. A "Green Card" emphasizes a right of residence (allowing for legal employment) and does not imply that the holder possesses U.S. nationality or U.S. citizenship. If a "Green Card" holder intends to apply for U.S. citizenship, they must have resided in the United States as a permanent resident for at least 5 years, including at least 30 months of continuous physical presence in the U.S., and, of course, must pass the required naturalization test.
For people today, immigration is no longer an unfamiliar term. We all have friends or relatives who have immigrated overseas, and the United States is a primary destination for immigration.
If you wish to immigrate to the United States, you must first obtain a U.S. "Permanent Resident Card." Obtaining a "Permanent Resident Card" means you can settle in the United States without having to renounce your original nationality.
Because the cover of the U.S. "Permanent Resident Card" is green, it is commonly referred to by the public as a "Green Card."
The permanent residency system originated in the United States. As the U.S. is a nation of immigrants, its immigration system is relatively advanced. According to U.S. law, Green Card holders enjoy treatment similar to that of nationals, possess rights almost identical to those of U.S. citizens, and can enter and exit the United States freely without needing to apply for a visa.
However, Green Card holders are not U.S. citizens and therefore do not enjoy political rights, such as the right to vote or to be elected; this is the only difference between holding a Green Card and holding citizenship.
Five years after obtaining a Green Card, you are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship and formally become a U.S. citizen. At that point, you will possess political rights in the United States, but this is conditional upon renouncing your Chinese nationality.