Permanent Residency (Green Card) - The Basics

Becoming a Green Card Holder allows you to live and work in the United States for the rest of your life. The legal term for this is Lawful Permanent Residency. But be careful! There are numerous ways in which you can lose your residency even if you've had it for years. The most common of these involve committing certain crimes or remaining outside of the United States for an extended period of time.