For example, the 1996 welfare reform took food stamp and medical benefits away from legal permanent residents. Currently, legal immigrants must wait for five years before they can apply for benefits under Medicaid or the State Child Health Insurance Program. If you become a US citizen, you are immediately eligible to apply for these benefits. Legal permanent residents can only petition for their spouses or unmarried children. Currently, family members of legal permanent residents must wait more than four years for a visa.
Immediate relatives can apply for an immigrant visa without delay.
Additionally, as a US citizen, you can sponsor family members that legal permanent residents cannot sponsor. You will be eligible to petition for your parents and your brothers and sisters. Many people believe that if they do not become a US citizen, they might be able to avoid the military draft. This assumption is not correct. Any male residing in the US must register for the draft, even if he is residing in the country without any legal status.