Quick Question about Greencard

[Jowayne 0]

I am still waiting for my greencard but for example i already have it in my hands how long can i stay outside the country?

[DoneWaiting 15]

I am still waiting for my greencard but for example i already have it in my hands how long can i stay outside the country?

With GC on hands, You must have at least one entry during a calendar year.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I am still waiting for my greencard but for example i already have it in my hands how long can i stay outside the country?

There are, as always, many variables involved, but the rules in a nutshell are...

6 months without any problems. Beyond 6 months CBP may question whether you've abandoned your residency in the US. After 12 months you will need a reentry permit to reenter the US. Beyond 2 years, even with a reentry permit, you will have abandoned your residency, and you will be denied entry. If you are denied entry for any of the above then it may be possible to get a returning resident visa at a US consulate abroad.

The safest bet is either don't plan to be outside the US for more than six months, or get a reentry permit before leaving.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

** moved from "Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from Family Based Visas" to " Working & Traveling During US Immigration" as this is relating to travelling**

[Jowayne 0]

There are, as always, many variables involved, but the rules in a nutshell are...

6 months without any problems. Beyond 6 months CBP may question whether you've abandoned your residency in the US. After 12 months you will need a reentry permit to reenter the US. Beyond 2 years, even with a reentry permit, you will have abandoned your residency, and you will be denied entry. If you are denied entry for any of the above then it may be possible to get a returning resident visa at a US consulate abroad.

The safest bet is either don't plan to be outside the US for more than six months, or get a reentry permit before leaving.

Thankyou very much,it answered my question.

[HeatDeath 430]

Also bear in mind that multiple trips abroad with very-short stays in the US between them may be considered as bad as one larger trip by CBP . They track patterns of travel as well as individual trip durations. Four months out, followed by three days back, followed by four months out again will raise at least as many red flags for them as a single trip of 8 months [perhaps more, since the pattern looks more like attempted deliberate obfuscation].

One of the best strategies is to never leave the US without leaving significant property (including real estate, preferably) here. Also, never leave the US without extremely concrete plans to return. Those two together should go quite a ways towards showing them that you do not intend to abandon your US residence.

Conversely, leaving on an open-ended trip right after liquidating all of your US property would be a bad idea. Take steps to avoid it looking like you're doing that, and you should be ok [at least for periods of less than a year.]