i mean i have it and its not green or anything so why is it called that?
2007-08-02 12:07:53 · 7 answers · asked by catfight_007 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
The original cards had a green background.
2007-08-02 12:12:13 · answer #1 · answered by davidmi711 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
"The green card is officially known as the Alien Registration Receipt Card. The first green cards were white and were the product of the Alien Registration Act of 1940. Originally passed as a national defense measure, the act required all aliens to register themselves with the government. They could do this at the post offices, and their registration forms were forwarded to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or the INS. However, the Alien Registration Act did not discriminate against legal and illegal immigrants. All were legal, and all were registered. After the INS processed the forms, the immigrants were sent a receipt form, and in essence, these were the first green cards to be issued.
When World War II ended and immigration once again resumed on a large scale, alien registration was not done at the post offices any more but became part of the normal procedure of immigration, and each type of immigrant was classified by a different permit. This enabled the INS to deal with far less forms and to deal the immigrants with better efficiency. And that then, is where the green card came from. There were several different types of immigrants; workers, students and teachers, and each had a registration permit that showed their status. Those immigrants, who were lucky enough to obtain a permit for permanent residence in the United States, got a green receipt, or, in other words, a green card."
2007-08-02 12:25:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
My green card is not green either, but several years ago the card was green. So it became the nickname for the card it just stuck.
2007-08-02 12:13:22 · answer #3 · answered by rainy32 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The cards I have seen are indeed light green.
2007-08-02 12:13:49 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They used to be green. I remember seeing my mom's as a child. She was born in Mexico and married my father, a U.S. citizen. They were plastic cards with a black and white picture with green zig-zag lines all over the cards set closely together that made them look green. It was kind of a light green color.
2007-08-02 12:13:36 · answer #5 · answered by Lydia H 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it used to be green. flip to the backside it still has a green stripe.
2007-08-02 14:18:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because aliens are green and since they come from another place/planet and ppl who need a green card are the ppl who come from another place hahhaha..get it...cause the ALiENS ARE GREEN!!! tehhe.lol =P
2007-08-02 13:26:16 · answer #7 · answered by Hafsa S 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋