A permanent resident is a person who has been granted the right to live in a country by the government of that country.
In the U.S., a permanent resident will be given a “Green Card”, a photo ID as a proof of their status. Incidentally, the photo ID issued to immigrants in the U.S. got its name from actually being green in colour from 1946 to 1964.
Usually, citizenship is by birth or by naturalization.
As an immigrant, you will have to get the PR before you can think of applying for citizenship. An immigrant cannot directly apply for citizenship in the country that he is living in.
There is a broad demarcation between the two, as both permanent residents and people enjoy a great deal of independence over other immigrants and visa holders. The most notable distinctions are:
1. Citizens can exercise their voting rights, but there are no voting rights for permanent residents.
2. Permanent residents should have the passport of their originating country, but citizens are legitimate passport holders.
3. Citizens cannot be deported but permanent residents can be deported to their native country under certain circumstances.
4. A citizen can run for election, permanent residents can’t.
5. Citizens are not bound by a visa quota to bring in their family members to the adopted country but permanent residents have certain restrictions in this regard.