American green card is a concern of Chinese people, because most of the people we know who stay in the United States are green cards, but it is not the Americans who have the American green card, so what is the difference between American green card and American nationality?
The official title of "U.S. green card" is "permanent resident card". It is mainly used to prove that an alien has the right to live and work in the United States for a long time, and has the effect of "U.S. visa". The holder only needs to show the green card when entering the U.S. border, and there is no need to apply for visa on the passport. As the card representing permanent residence status was originally green, it is called "green card". After that, we used other colors, and since May 2010, we have changed to green again.
American nationality means that the party concerned is a citizen of the United States, emphasizing a kind of citizenship. If a green card holder intends to apply for naturalization in the United States, he or she must have lived in the United States as a permanent resident for at least 5 years and have lived in the United States continuously for at least 30 months. Here's a summary of the differences between having a U.S. green card and having a U.S. nationality.
First, American citizens can handle immigration for their relatives
As the immediate relatives of American citizens, they can immigrate to the United States at any time without quota restrictions, that is, there is no green card waiting period.
However, permanent residents of the United States, that is, the direct relatives of green card holders, are subject to the annual immigration quota. There is a waiting period, that is, they need to arrange, and the waiting time varies. It is a common situation to wait for 6 to 18 months, and some even several years.
Second: the right to vote and to be elected
Compared with American citizens, permanent residents usually do not have the right to vote and the right to be elected in state and federal administrative units (however, according to Article 2 of the constitution of the United States of America, American citizens born abroad and naturalized still cannot be elected president of the United States).
Third: citizens do not have to be deported for crimes
I believe that most people are unwilling to commit crimes, but they may be victims of certain situations at the wrong time and place, but as American citizens, they will not be expelled. American citizens don't have to worry about losing their green cards or staying abroad for a long time to return to the United States.
Fourth: participation in public office is no longer limited to social work
With American nationality, you can stay in the United States to work unconditionally in the future and have the right to vote. You can give priority to being an important leader of governments at all levels, public institutions and large enterprises.
Many key positions, such as official military affairs, defense diplomacy, high technology and core laboratories, are strictly limited to citizens. Even many ordinary positions, such as the police, are citizens' priorities.
Fifth: scholarships and student loans
The tuition fees of American students are only 10% of that of foreign students, and they are easy to enter well-known universities. They can apply for scholarships and 1% low interest student loans that only American citizens can enjoy. Compared with most foreign students who go to the United States at their own expense, they can save hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan.