Recently, some clients who have obtained a U.S. green card have asked me whether I should become a U.S. citizen. I might as well say bluntly, if you don't need to apply for a green card for your parents, if you don't want to work in official institutions such as the United States, and if you don't often travel and travel to Europe and other places, there is not much need to become an American citizen.
There is no difference between a U.S. green card and a U.S. citizenship in the U.S. in terms of residence, study, work, military service, travel, social benefits, legal protection, medical protection, and inheritance allowances.
However, they differ in this way:
1.Civil rights, green card holders are still Chinese citizens, and cannot participate in the selection and voting in the United States;
2.There is a difference in the scope of family immigration, the scope of citizens is broader, parents, spouses, all children, brothers and sisters can apply; Green card holders can only apply for their spouse, minor children, or unmarried adult children;
3.In terms of employment, without citizenship, you cannot work in the United States**, firefighting, defense, diplomacy, and other places with better retirement benefits;
4.Duration of stay: If the green card holder leaves the United States for more than 12 months and does not explain the reason to the USCIS and submit an extension application, it is possible to lose the U.S. green card;
5.Social security benefits, green card holders who have left the United States for more than half a year may have their social security benefits revoked;
6.On the issue of visa-free countries, green card holders are exempt from visas for both China and the United States only when entering and leaving the United States; For U.S. citizens, visa-free travel to 182 countries around the world;
Finally, I want to emphasize that if you are sure to help your parents get a green card sooner or later, then you should become a U.S. citizen as soon as possible, because after your parents come, they will accumulate 40 social security welfare points, as well as get a red and blue card, and many other things, all of which will take a long time to get through.