How did Green Cards get their name?
The first alien registration cards were white and registration took place in local post offices. However, at the end of WWII, registration was moved to the federal INS (Immigration Naturalization Service) offices. The INS divided aliens into three categories – visitors, permanent residents and temporary foreign workers – and assigned each category a specific license. Permanent residents received the I-151, which was green in color. The full title of the license was very long (“alien registration receipt card form I-151”) and was thus unofficially dubbed “Green Card” in everyday jargon.
