Lawful permanent residents (LPRs) in the US are authorized to live permanently in the US.
There are several ways to obtain permanent residency in the US, including:
An employer sponsored green card application, based on a specific, permanent full-time job offer. There are five preference categories, abbreviated as EB-1, EB-2, etc.
A self-sponsored employment based green card application without the need for a specific job offer. This is usually filed under the EB-1 Extraordinary Ability (EB-1A) or EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
Marriage to a US citizen
Sponsorship by a close relative who is a US citizen or permanent resident
The US Department of State diversity lottery program
