Immigration Terms

Green card or alien card:
Gives you permission to stay here. You can get college financial aid and work. You can legally leave the country and come back. You can apply to be a citizen after five years. The green card is pink, but it used to be green.

Work permit and social security number:
Allows you to work, but if you leave the country, you can’t come back. The work permit lets you work to help pay for college, but doen’t mean you will get in-state tuition. You can’t apply separately for a work permit and social security number. You get these based on your immigration status and what paperwork you’ve given the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Temporary alien card:
You can get financial aid and work. Allows you to leave the country and return.

Student visa:
Allows you to attend college, but you must pay out-of-state tuition and you can’t get financial aid. You may not work. It is only available to student who can show their home is in another country. It would be very difficult for students graduating from a U.S. high school to get.

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