Everyone who is not an American citizen needs authorization to live in the U.S. There are two classes of people who are authorized to be in the United States:

•  Persons entitled to reside permanently, who are issued a Resident Alien Card (commonly called a “Green Card)

•  Persons authorized to remain temporarily, who are issued a non-immigrant visa

An immigrant visa (Green Card) allows you to:

• Live here permanently
• Get a job
• Apply to bring your spouse and unmarried children into the country
• Travel in and out of the U.S. (however, absences of more than six months could affect eligibility for citizenship and in some cases could affect a person’s right to re-enter the United States; absences of more than one year could result in a loss of legal resident status)
• Apply for citizenship after you have lived here for five years, or three years if you have been married to an American citizen during that period.
• Financial Aid for college  
• Insurance  
• Have general rights, except the right to vote 
• Immunity to future immigration 

Remember that your green card needs to be renewed every 10 years.

Each non-immigrant visa shows:

• If you can work – sometimes the principal visa holder can work and the family members are allowed to reside here but are not allowed to work
• How long you can stay in the country – you can apply to the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) if you need to extend your stay
• How many times you may leave the U.S. and come back again

A non-immigrant visa allows you to remain in the in the U.S. for a temporary period and a specific purpose. Non-immigrant visas generally are issued for business, tourism, temporary work, study and exchange. In addition, spouses and children of individuals granted non-immigrant visas can be granted a visa to accompany their spouse or parent. It is important to note that many non-immigrant visas do not permit the holder to work – violating this restriction could lead to deportation.

For more information about immigration laws, visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website here: http://goo.gl/onfjS and this website: https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship . You can also find general information about a green card here: https://www.uscis.gov/greencard .

Disclaimer: Information on this page is not legal advice for any individual case or situation. The information is general and should not be relied upon for any specific situation. For specific situations, please consult an attorney.