green card

noun

variants or less commonly Green Card

plural green cards also Green Cards

: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an immigrant, refugee, etc. in the U.S.

To become a citizen, people generally have to have a green card for several years, … pass a background check as well as English and civics tests, and take an oath.

—Madeleine Ngo

The steps you must take to apply for a Green Card will vary depending on your individual situation.

—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

green-carder

ˈgrēn-ˈkär-dər 

noun

Examples of green card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Under current law, the government can deny a green card to those who become primarily dependent on government cash assistance or long-term medical care paid for by federal agencies. — Armando Garcia, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

The group included 15 individuals who had entered through the humanitarian parole program under the Biden administration, asylum applicants, a green card holder and 50 others who had lived in the United States under Temporary Protected Status. — Gérard Maxineau, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026

Homeland Security claimed the office sent a notice advising him to submit an application for a permanent green card, as the temporary card expired in 1997, Darnell said. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Kulkarni said their current priorities are to keep Bondonga from being relocated and adjudicating her green card application while also pushing her team's habeas corpus application forward, attempting to prove her detention unlawful. — Ruby Grisin, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the fact that it was formerly colored green

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for green card

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard

Legal Definition

green card

noun

: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an alien in the U.S.

Etymology

from the fact that it was formerly colored green