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Permanent Residency Process

The terms permanent resident, green card holder, and immigrant status can be used interchangeably. Permanent residents are allowed to reside indefinitely within the United States to live and work even though they are not citizens. Unlike non-immigrant visa statuses, such as F-1 and J-1, permanent residents do not have to demonstrate intent to return to the home countries. After a period of time, they may become U.S. citizens. Permanent residents are issued a Permanent Resident Card commonly referred to as a Green Card.

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