Many people who are in the United States to apply for a visa or asylum request have the ultimate goal of obtaining a Permanent Resident Card (or Green Card) or a Green Card. This vital document will allow you to remain in the United States for an indefinite period of time.
Lawful permanent residents have more rights and protections that those who are in the country with visas. They are not protected from being deported or removed from the United States. Even those who have lived in the United States for many years may be removed from the country because of criminal charges .
- Repeat offenders or those convicted of certain crimes are most at risk – Sometimes people make errors that lead to them breaking the law. Minor criminal offenses can be forgiven by lawful permanent residents. They can either pay their fine or serve their sentence and continue living as permanent residents.
- What is a crime of moral Turpitude? – Because there is no federal list of eligible offenses, it can be difficult to identify which offenses could lead to deportation proceedings. A crime of moral turpitude could be any offense that offends an average person’s senses of morality.
- All convicted and charged with a crime still have rights – Legal help can be a lifesaver when you have a legal problem as an immigrant. Both permanent residents and immigrants with visas can make smart decisions about how to defend themselves against criminal charges that could lead to deportation.
Legal help can be a lifesaver when you have a legal problem as an immigrant. Both permanent residents and immigrants with visas can make smart decisions about how to defend themselves against criminal charges that could lead to deportation.
Summarized from an article by U.S. Law Center.
