A "Green Card" awards you official immigration status and makes you a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Permanent residency means you can live and work in the United States for the rest of your life. Most immigrants are granted a temporary Green Card first, and then need to apply for a change of status for a permanent green card within a specific time period (usually two years). Before a Green Card holder can apply for permanent citizenship via the naturalization process, he or she needs to fulfill a residency requirement. There are several ways to receive lawful permanent residency, including: Green Card through Marriage; Green Card through Relatives; Green Card through Employment; Green Card through Investment; Green Card Lottery. You must go through a multi-step process to obtain a permanent Green Card. This process varies depending on your particular circumstances. In most cases, applicants are required to fill out an application, complete an immigrant petition, and undergo a medical examination as part of the process. Even Green Card Lottery winners need to go through the application process. The permanent Green Card process can take several years to complete, depending on the applicant's country of origin and reason for applying.