Alien registration was originally a process followed in Japan for recording the presence of aliens – meaning the foreigners in the country. The United States have the provisions for alien registration forms which file the presence of the foreigners living in the country.
Citizens in the US are required to have their alien registration cards to prove their legal status in the country to work or live permanently. The card of alien registration in US is also known as Form I-551. It is a permanent residence card for the individuals and has to be carried by them all the time, failing which they can be highly penalized.
In case of any damage or expiry of the card, one needs to renew the same otherwise which they may be held as criminals as well. Thus, one always needs to have the card with them in their updated status.
The card is important for the country as it allows a distinction between the residents who are documented from those who are undocumented.
As immigration is a national policy of the country, allowing people from other countries to enter US, work and live in there, thus the country needs to have such measures to be aware of the undocumented individuals and workers who can prove to be a threat for the country.
For individuals trying to apply for immigration into the country, there is the provision for the ‘Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration’ – the form which the individuals need to fill up and apply for their visas. The form asks for an individual’s biographic data and sworn statement. If it is a family that needs to immigrate, each member of the family has to fill up this form separately for the processing.
The green card is extremely important for the permanent residents of the country. The card gives the right to the individuals to freely work, live, and travel within the US. Also, the entry into and the exit from the country becomes easier for the individuals if they have the card.
It can be said that the green card or the alien registration card is the initial step to one’s US citizenship. Hence in order to achieve US citizenship in the most natural way, applying for and holding a green card would be essential.
The card needs to be taken care of and maintained well, with timely renewal to keep it updated.
