Why isn a “green card” green?
What we know as a green card” came in a variety of different colors at different times in its history. The green card is formally known as the Alien Registration Receipt Card, Form I-151 or I-551. A Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) alien living in the United States may carry a card that is not green, but refers to it as a “green card.” The alien does so because the card bestows benefits, and those benefits came into being at a time when the card was actually green In use today, the I-551 green card has been issued in various colors as well, including pink (“rose”) and pink-and-blue. Despite these changes in form number, design, and color, the INS document which represents an alien’s right to live and work in the United States will probably always be known as a “Green Card.
