Difference Between a Visa and a Green Card

In the simplest form, the Difference Between a Visa and a Green Card is as follows:

A Visa is like a ticket to enter.  Think of a sporting event or a concert.  The Visa is simply the ticket you present when you enter the stadium.

There is really no such thing as a Green Card, at least according to the Immigration and Naturalization Act or the Code of Federal Regulations.  However, a Green Card is symbolic of Lawful Permanent Residence status in much the same way that a driver’s license is symbolic that its holder has passed certain requirements and is authorized to drive a motor vehicle.  A Green Card is a piece of plastic, just like the driver’s license, and it symbolizes that the holder has passed certain requirements in order to live and work in the United States.