What does Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) denote?

A Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) refers to a non-citizen who is legally permitted to live and work in a country on a permanent basis. This designation provides individuals with specific rights and responsibilities, including the ability to apply for citizenship after fulfilling certain conditions. The status of an LPR is often conferred through family connections, employment sponsorship, or refugee or asylum status, but it distinctly identifies individuals who have been granted the legal right to reside in the country without the need for continuous visas like tourists or temporary workers.

In contrast, a tourist with a visa is allowed to stay in a country for a specific period for leisure or business purposes, lacking the permanence associated with being an LPR. An undocumented immigrant does not have legal status, which is fundamentally different from the rights and status of an LPR. Additionally, while asylum seekers are in the process of seeking protection and may eventually obtain LPR status, they do not hold this status when they initially seek asylum. Thus, the definition of Lawful Permanent Resident specifically applies to non-citizens who have attained the right to stay indefinitely in a country.