Permanent Resident Card – “Green Card”
The identification card for a lawful permanent resident is commonly known as the "green card," its official title is the Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551). You may notice that the card itself is not green-in fact, the term "green card" arises from a previous version of the card introduced after World War II, which was printed on green paper. Currently, the only green feature on the card is the background of the lettering on the back.
Reading a Permanent Resident Card
In addition to the color photograph that you must provide for use on the card, the green card contains many other identification features as well as important security features. The top of the card features personal identification information such as name, resident alien number, birth date, sex, country of birth, permanent resident category, and expiration date.
The bottom of the card contains much of the same information in a form that is machine-readable. In order to read it properly, consider the "<" marks as spaces. The first line contains the resident alien number and the immigration case number which was assigned to your case when you applied for permanent residency. The second line contains the birth date (year first), sex, expiration date (year first) and country of birth. The third line contains the full name.
Security features on the card include a reproduction of the holder's fingerprint, as well as hologram anti-counterfeiting features and the seal of the Department of Homeland Security. Green cards issued prior to 2004 contain the Department of Justice seal, since that is the office that issued them.
The back of the permanent resident card contains the green lettering mentioned above with the name of the new issuing office, the Department of Homeland Security. The predominant feature on the back is a machine-readable magnetic stripe.
Talk to an Immigration Lawyer about Obtaining a Green Card Today!
If you've been thinking about applying for a green card and receiving all the benefits that come to a permanent resident of the United States, there's no reason to delay. Some paths to permanent residency have wait times of several years, so the sooner you apply, the sooner you'll be on your way to adjusting your status to that of a permanent resident.
Total Immigration can link you directly with an immigration lawyer in your area to answer questions about the application process, how to adjust status from temporary nonimmigrant to permanent resident, or any other issue or complication on your application.
Just complete our simple, no-obligation immigration case evaluation form or call us at (877) 444-1074 to have us connect you to a local immigration attorney today!