Permanent Residency

Permanent residency is a person's resident status in a country of which they are not citizens but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with such status is known as a permanent resident. In the United States, such a person is officially referred to as a Lawful Permanent Resident.

Permanent residency itself is distinct from right of abode, which waives immigration control for such persons. Persons having permanent residency still require immigration control if they do not have right of abode. However, a right of abode automatically grants people permanent residency. This status also gives work permit in most cases. In many western countries, the status of permanent resident confers a right of abode upon the holder despite not being a citizen of the particular country.

Limitations of permanent residents

Depending on the country, permanent residents usually have the same rights as citizens except for the following:

• they may not vote (though in some cases such as the UK's Commonwealth citizens, New Zealand and Belgium, voting is allowed)
• they may not stand for public office (except European Union citizens permanently residing in other EU member states who may stand in local and European elections)
• in most cases they may not hold public sector employment. Canada and New Zealand allow this; some countries, such as Brazil and Portugal, allow it only for permanent residents holding citizenship of another country of shared heritage
• they may not usually apply for employment involving national security. In Singapore, male PRs who have been granted PR before the age of 18 have to serve national service. Most first-generation males are exempted.
• they may not own certain classes of real estate
• they are not issued the passport of that country (unless otherwise stateless or unable to obtain a passport from their country of nationality, in which case they may be entitled to a certificate of identity instead)
• they do not have access to the country's consular protection (some countries such as Australia allow this)
• they may qualify to apply for citizenship after meeting a specified period of residence

Obligations of permanent residents

Permanent residents may be required to fulfil specific residence obligations to maintain their status. In some cases, permanent residency may be conditional on a certain type of employment or maintenance of a business.

Many countries have compulsory military service for citizens. Some countries, such as Singapore, extend this to permanent residents. However, in Singapore, most first generation permanent residents are exempted, and only their sons are held liable for national service.

In a similar approach, the United States has Selective Service, a compulsory registration for military service, which is required of all male citizens and permanent residents ages 18 to 26; this requirement theoretically applies even to those residing in the country illegally. Applications for citizenship may be denied or otherwise impeded if the applicant cannot prove having complied with this requirement.

Permanent residents may be required to reside in the country offering them residence for a given minimum length of time (as in Australia and Canada). Permanent residents may lose their status if they stay outside their host country for more than a specified period of time (as in the United States).

Permanent residents have the same obligations as citizens regarding taxes.