i've been in the US for 17yrs as a permanent resident. no benifit of being a citizen. i get all the protections, execpt i cant vote and cant be selected for jury duty. actually, scratch that. i cant get top-secret clearance if i join the military/work for military contrats, but if i do join, then i just have to wait a year til citizenship is granted. private sector pays more anyways, so i'll stick to my situation.