When you get a green card, you become a permanent resident of the United States. For many immigrants, getting a green card is a crucial step after legally entering the country. While an educational or employment visa can help someone enter the United States, they will need a green card if they want to stay.
The visas people have will eventually expire, and when they do, those immigrants either need to renew them or plan to leave the country. Immigrants who meet the requirements to upgrade from a visa to a green card can stay in the United States permanently without needing to constantly submit new paperwork to renew their visas.
However, there are limitations on the right of permanent residents. In some scenarios, the courts or the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) could decide to remove someone who has a green card. What are two of the most common reasons that green card holders face deportation or removal proceedings?
They lied on their initial paperwork
One of the most common reasons for those already awarded a green card to lose their permanent resident status is the discovery of fraud or misrepresentation in their immigration paperwork.
If the USCIS learns that an applicant has misrepresented themselves, lied about their circumstances or failed to make necessary disclosures when initially applying, those choices may ultimately mean that the immigrant cannot stay in the United States.
The courts convict them of a serious criminal offense
Until someone becomes a citizen, they are at risk of removal from the country over allegations that they broke the law. Many kinds of felony offenses that lead to prison and also crimes of moral turpitude can lead to the removal of a lawful permanent resident from the United States.
You can protect yourself from removal as a green card holder by being fastidious when filling out your initial paperwork and by defending yourself when you face accusations of criminal misconduct. The more serious the charges against you, the more likely they are to affect your status as a green card holder.
Learning more about the immigration rule for permanent residents can help you qualify for a green card and protect your right to stay in the country permanently.