Limitations for Green Card Holders

Published on 11/11/2015

Hello, I’m Vaughan de Kirby. Today, earlier today, I had a question from a client and I thought it’s something that we really should cover.

In the United States, we ‘re a democracy, as you obviously know. It appears as far as the media is concerned that we’re constantly in an election cycle, so it’s important to understand as a Green Card holder, what you can and cannot do.

Frequently I tell my clients that really as a Green Card holder, you can do almost everything that a citizen can do, except vote in an election. It’s very important though that you don’t make a mistake and go too far in your activities in the United States. You can canvass door to door, you can support your favorite candidate, but you cannot register to vote. If you take that action, you’re jeopardizing your Green Card. And it doesn’t mean that you’ll have to actually vote, it means actually that you present yourself as an American Citizen, and this is a violation of the terms of your Green Card, and also a violation that could affect you later if you want to become a citizen.

So be involved in the civic process, absolutely be involved in the election, but don’t make the mistake of registering to vote. I hope this helps you and you won’t make that mistake.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or call 415-221-2345.

Vaughan de Kirby
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San Francisco California EB-5 Investment Immigration Attorney