A green card is an official document identifying a person as a permanent resident of the United States. It does not give citizenship to the card holder but permits him or her to live and work legally in the country. There are many ways to get a green card. One common way is through family members who have American citizenship. America gives special consideration to husbands, wives, children and parents of American citizens. Green card holders can also nominate their husbands, wives and children for green cards. A foreign citizen who has been offered a job in America can request a green card. The employer would serve as sponsor in that case. There are also green card qualifiers for some non-citizens who invest in America, and for refugees. Still all these paths leave out many people who want a green card. So, each year America carries out a lottery that provides about 50,000 green cards to lucky winners.