New Green Card will be green!

         
        Many people have asked this question: how come the American green card is not green in color?  It has been all kinds of colors - white, grey, yellowish, etc. – but green.  Well, the Green Card, also known as the U.S. Alien Registration Receipt Card or the Permanent Resident Card, will finally be green as of May 11, 2010, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). (See sample below)

The Green Card is evidence of a person’s legal immigrant status in the U.S.  It is issued only to applicants who have applied for lawful permanent residence status and proved that they are eligible to immigrate to the U.S. The Green Card is required for legal residents to live in the U.S. permanently, to work legally, and to return to the U.S. after temporary travel.  However, a person can lose his Green Card if he violates the immigration laws and regulations.  For example, a Green Card holder who has committed a serious criminal offense can be stripped of his Green Card and deported from the U.S.

 

The new green card will incorporate major new security features to make it more difficult to counterfeit and quicker to authenticate.  Secure optical media will store biometrics for rapid and reliable identification.  Holographic images, laser engraved fingerprints, and high resolution micro-images will make the card almost impossible to reproduce.  Tighter integration of the card design with personalized elements will make it difficult to alter the card if stolen.  Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) capability will allow Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at ports of entry to read the card from a distance and compare it immediately to file data.  Last but not least, a preprinted return address will enable the easy return of a lost card to USCIS.

New Green Cards will be issued to new immigrants immediately.  The government will also slowly replace Green Cards already in use when legal residents apply to renew or replace their green cards.  Although an immigrant’s legal residence status is permanent, his Green Card is only valid for ten years and must be renewed.  The current USCIS fee of renewing or replacing a Green Card is $370.  

Some conditional Green Cards are only for valid for two years or less and an application must be filed to make it permanent.  For example, a foreigner who married a U.S. citizen may apply for a green card without subject to the annual limits of immigrant visa quota.  She will be issued a conditional green card for two years, after she has established that the marital relationship is truthful by means of extensive documentation and a personal interview.  This conditional green card is only good for two years and an application must be filed with the USCIS before the end of the two years to remove the conditions.  Otherwise, she will lose her legal residence status and be placed in deportation proceedings.  

In general, most Green Cards have an expiration date.  Upon expiration, the Green Card loses its validity.  Some older green cards do not have an expiration date. Nevertheless, it is still advisable for the holders of these old Green Cards to apply for a new card to take advantage of the new security features.  It is also pretty cool to have a new “green” Green Card!