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Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services Energy Assistance Program Manual

II. The USCIS document’s expiration date if there is one, and III. Any other pertinent information, if applicable.

306 DESCRIPTION OF IMMIGRATION CATEGORIES I. U.S. Citizens U.S. citizenship is granted at birth to persons born in the U.S. It is also granted at birth to many persons born abroad who have at least one U.S. citizen parent. In addition, lawful permanent residents and certain U.S. military veterans may also become citizens through the process known as naturalization. Naturalized citizens have virtually the same rights as U.S. born citizens. Documents that prove U.S. citizenship include the following: a birth certificate issued by a U.S. state or local government or by a U.S. territory such as Puerto Rico, Guam or the Virgin Islands; a U.S. passport; the INS Forms I-179, I-197, N-560, N- 561, N-550 and N-570. II. Lawful Permanent Residents Individuals who lawfully immigrate to the U.S. are called lawful permanent residents (LPRs). LPRs have permission to live and work permanently in the U.S. They may travel outside the U.S. and return, as long as they do not abandon their U.S. residence. An LPR may apply for naturalization to become a U.S. citizen after living in the U.S. for five years (three years if married to a U.S. citizen). LPRs are eligible for almost all of the public benefits available to U.S. citizens. The INS documents that prove LPR status include the “green card” (Form I-151 or I-551), a re-entry permit (I-327) or foreign passport with a stamp showing temporary evidence of LPR status. “Commuter non-citizens” are LPRs who work in the U.S., but reside in Mexico and Canada and commute here to work. For purposes of eligibility for federal benefit programs, these persons are treated the same as LPRs, although they may experience difficulty establishing state residency. III. Conditional Permanent Residents Persons who receive LPR status through marriage to a U.S. citizen will be granted conditional permanent residence if they have been married less than two years. At the end of two years, the couple must file a joint petition with the USCIS to remove the condition or the non-citizen spouse must qualify for a waiver to keep his/her LPR status. A conditional permanent resident will have the same rights and the same documents as the other LPRs, except the I-551 card will expire after two years and is coded “CR.” IV. Amnesty (IRCA) Legalized Immigrants Under the Immigration Reform and Immigrant Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), two categories of non-citizens were allowed to legalize their status: (1) “general amnesty” or legalization immigrants, who had resided unlawfully in the U.S. since prior to January 1, 1982, and (2) “special agricultural workers” (SAWs) or “section 210” immigrants, who performed agricultural work for a specified period prior to IRCA’s enactment. Legalization under IRCA was a two-stage process under which applicants first applied for and obtained lawful temporary resident (LTR) status. After obtaining LTR status, general amnesty immigrants MTL 01/24 June 25, 2024 - 6 - Section 300 – Citizenship