[4] Green card holders are statutorily entitled to apply for U.S. citizenship after showing by a preponderance of the evidence that they, among other things, have continuously resided in the United States for one to five years and are persons of good moral character.

[11] Absent exceptional circumstances, immigrants who are 18 years of age or older could spend up to 30 days in jail for not carrying their green cards.

[14][verification needed] An LPR could become "removable" from the United States after suffering a criminal conviction,[15] especially if it involved a particularly serious crime or an aggravated felony "for which the term of imprisonment was completed within the previous 15 years".

[27] Immigration official may investigate the health, income, wealth, education, and family of applicants for permanent residency to predict whether they will become a public charge in the future.

Refugees, asylum seekers, pregnant women, children, and family members of those serving in the Armed Forces are excluded from the restrictions.

[27] The Trump administration estimated that 58% of households headed by non-citizens use a public welfare program and half use Medicaid.

[27] Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the former acting director of USCIS, stated the policy will "have the long-term benefit of protecting taxpayers by ensuring people who are immigrating to this country don't become public burdens, that they can stand on their own two feet, as immigrants in years past have done.

"[27] The National Immigration Law Center stated that the rule "will have a dire humanitarian impact, forcing some families to forgo critical lifesaving health care and nutrition.

[27] During his campaign for President of the United States, Joe Biden criticized the Public Charge rule and pledged to revoke it.

[30] On February 2, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security review the policy, amongst others.

U.S. citizens may sponsor for permanent residence in the United States the following relatives: U.S. permanent residents may sponsor for permanent residence in the United States the following relatives: The Department of State's "Visa Bulletin", issued every month, gives the priority date for those petition beneficiaries currently entitled to apply for immigrant status through immigrant visas or adjustment of status.

[47] There is no annual quota for the spouses, unmarried children, and parents of U.S. citizens, so there is no waiting period for these applicants—just the required processing time.

[48] Required later in the process will be additional biographic data regarding the beneficiary (the person being sponsored) and a medical examination.

Additional documents, such as police certificates, may be required depending on whether immigrant visa (consular processing) or adjustment of status is being utilized.

[50] Moreover, applicants who are in the United States unlawfully may be eligible to receive a green card under a sole exception.

[52] The last advancement date comprised the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) along with other regularization provisions which included penalizing institutions that knowingly employed undocumented non-citizens.

[53] This was done through a set of congressional amendments that culminated in 1958 Act, where the requirement for non-citizens to be eligible only if they are not subject to deportation was removed.

[55] Currently the provision date only excludes non-citizens that are inadmissible to the United States on criminal or national-security grounds.

A mechanism to unite families of green-card holders was created by the LIFE Act by the introduction of a "V visa", signed into law by President Clinton.

[citation needed] The number of green cards that can be granted to family-based applicants depends on what preference category they fall under.

[66] If permanent residence is granted, the winner (and their family, if applicable) receives an immigrant visa in their passport(s) that has to be "activated" within six months of issuance at any port of entry to the United States.

Likewise, some claim to provide to winners free airline tickets or other benefits, such as submissions in future years or cash funds.

Other fraud perpetrators will e-mail potential victims posing as State Department or other government officials with requests to wire or transfer money online as part of a "processing fee".

One particularly common fraud email asks potential victims to wire money via Western Union to an individual (the name varies) at the following address in the United Kingdom: 24 Grosvenor Square, London.

To avail themself of the benefit of this provision, the alien has to prove that they have continuously resided since before the stipulated "registry date".

[74] Lawful permanent residents, also known as green card holders, have certain rights and responsibilities as highlighted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and other federal agencies.

An exception to this rule is the case of a U.S. citizen legally sponsoring a spouse in which the marriage at the time of the adjustment of status (I-485) is more than two years old.

Once the application is received, permanent residence is extended in 1-year intervals until the request to remove conditions is approved or denied.

For an application based on marriage, birth certificates of children, joint financial statements, and letters from employers, friends and relatives are some types of evidence that may be accepted.

[83] This includes committing a criminal act that makes a person removable from the United States (an aggravated felony).