A green card is the commonly used name for a “permanent residence card,” or more specifically a United States Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551), and serves as legal proof that someone has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States of America on a permanent basis. The phrase originally came about because of the color of the paper that they used to be printed on up until 1964. Approved applications for residence in the United States were often printed on a green receipt, thus leading the common name that immigrants called them.

Today, they are the symbol of progress on the path to becoming an American citizen. You can apply for citizenship, or naturalization, after you have lived in the US for a minimum of three years if you are married to a US citizen, four years if you received residency through asylum, or five years if none of these apply.

One of the driving factors for people seeking this next level of citizenship is that you are afforded more rights than those considered “aliens” under the law. For instance, those obtaining a green card will usually earn the following rights and obligations:

- Ability to work legally

- Access to education

- Healthcare benefits

- Ability to sponsor other green card applicants including family members

- Ability to apply for citizenship

How do I get a green card?

There are several paths to getting a green card. Some are only available to certain groups, and one path may be faster than another, depending on your circumstances.

- Employment. You can get one if you have an appropriate work visa and your employer is willing to sponsor your application.

- Asylum. You can get one if your application for asylum is approved, which usually involves proving that you will face persecution if you return to your country of origin.

- Family. If your immediate family member is a U.S. citizen or has one, he or she can sponsor your application for one.

- Registry. If you have been in America since 1972 without leaving the country, you may be eligible for one under a certain immigration law.

- Lottery. 50,000 green cards are given out randomly each year to those who apply online and are from a country with few immigrants to the United States.

- Congressional Act. In some very rare instances, Congress passes a law that allows certain groups of people to apply for permanent resident status.

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Dealing with animals in a metro settings is now commonly known as nuisance wildlife control, and is becoming a popular topic the more we encroach on the natural habitat of animals. I suggest you don’t try to handle these animals on your own; instead contact a pest control professional in your local area just to be safe.

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