Permanent Residency vs. U.S. Citizenship

There are many advantages to establishing status as a permanent resident in the United States. If a permanent resident remains in the U.S. for the requisite period of time and meets other qualifications, he or she may qualify for U.S. citizenship. While permanent residents are offered many privileges while living in the U.S., citizens are entitled to certain rights that permanent residents do not have. Gaining U.S. citizenship can be an arduous process, but the advantages of being a U.S. citizen can make the work well worth the effort.

U.S. Citizen Rights and Obligations

While permanent residents have some legal rights and benefits, U.S. citizens are granted a wider range of rights. Likewise, citizens also have greater privileges than permanent residents. Some of the rights and privileges gained upon establishing U.S. citizenship include:

• The right to vote
• The right to be elected in state and federal elections
• The ability to bring family members to the U.S. with relative ease
• The ability to apply for a job with the federal government
• The right to remain in the United States without the risk of being deported for any reason

These are just some of the rights and privileges granted to those who establish U.S. citizenship. To be eligible to apply, an individual must first establish permanent residency and meet the residency requirements for a given period of time. Typically, a permanent resident can apply to be naturalized as a U.S. citizen after residing in the U.S. for five years. If an individual was granted asylum in the U.S., he or she must have only four years of residency to apply. For a spouse of a U.S. citizen, the wait time is three years of residency.

Contact Us

If you plan to remain permanently in the United States and are currently a permanent resident, applying for U.S. citizenship is the ideal way to ensure that you can remain in the U.S. without condition and are granted the same rights as every American. To learn more about how you can initiate your application for citizenship, don’t hesitate to contact the Orange County naturalization attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C. today at 949-540-6704.