legal residency
Lawful inhabitant standing
Legal residency is the status of being lawfully permitted to live in a country where one is not a citizen.
A legal resident typically holds a visa or permit granting the right to reside, work, and access services, but lacks the full rights of citizenship—such as voting.
She obtained legal residency after five years on a work visa.
The path from legal residency to citizenship varies by country.
- green cardU.S. residency document
- green card holderAuthorized long-term U.S. resident
- work permitOfficial employment eligibility document
- work authorizationLegal right to employment
- visaTravel authorization stamp
domicile · immigration law · path to citizenship · dual citizenship · asylum · healthcare access · adjudication · citizenship application · cultural adaptation · education rights · border control · compliance · homeland · embassy · sponsor · papers · interview · status
- immigrationimmigrant, immigrants, visa, refugee, citizenship
- UK ImmigrationBritish citizenship, British passport, Home Office, immigration law, immigration officer
- Immigration Papersgreen card, visa application, work permit, work visa, student visa
- cross-border marriageinternational marriage, cross-cultural marriage, foreign spouse, intermarriage, mixed marriage
- naturalizationcitizenship test, naturalization ceremony, naturalization test, naturalization certificate, citizenship oath
legal residencyundocumented status
Lacking official authorization to reside
legal residencystatelessness
Having no recognized citizenship
displacement · refugee status · exile · deportation · expulsion
legal residencycitizenship
Status as state member
naturalization · birthright citizenship · statelessness · denaturalization