What is Immigration Status?
Immigration status refers to an individual’s legal standing in a country other than their country of origin. It determines whether someone is authorized to be in that country, the rights and responsibilities they have while there, and their eligibility for various benefits and services.
Common immigration statuses include:
Citizenship:
Citizens have the highest legal status in a country. They have full rights and responsibilities, including the right to vote and work without restrictions.
- By birth or Naturalization
- They can leave and re-enter without re-entry permit.
- They can vote, hold certain government jobs, and serve on juries.
- They can petition for extended family members to become permanent reside.
- They are not subject to deportability (unless fraud was used to get citizenship).
Permanent Resident:
Permanent Residents, also known as Green Card holders in the United States, have permission to live and work in the country indefinitely. They enjoy most of the rights of citizens but may have some restrictions, such as voting in some cases.
- They are Lawful Permanent Residents -Cannot vote.
- They are Granted the right to live in U.S. indefinitely.
- They Remain citizens of their home country.
- They are Usually sponsored by employer or family.
- Their Green Card expires every 10 years.
- They can’t vote but can travel outside of the country (no longer than 6 months needs permission)
- They are still subject to deportability If they commit a crime that puts their Green Card in jeopardy.
Temporary Visa Holder:
These individuals are allowed to stay in the country for a specified period and often for a specific purpose, such as work, study, or tourism. Common types of temporary visas include student visas, work visas, and tourist visas.
- They have permission from the government, usually in form of visa, to live in U.S for limited time.
- It is usually for tourism, study and exchange, business, immigrate, or employment.
- They are subject to deportation if the terms of their visas are violated.
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