A lawful permanent resident is a non-citizen who has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, a person is granted a permanent resident card, commonly called a "green card."
Lawful permanent residents may leave the U.S. multiple times and reenter, as long as they do not intend to stay outside the U.S. for 1 year or more. Staying outside of the country for more than one year (without a re-entry permit) may result in loss of permanent resident status.
