How long can one stay out of county with Green Card

[mshussain1920 1]

How long can one stay out of country while having the green card? is there a limit of months, days, etc. . . . (I'm sure it affects when one is trying to apply for citizenship because they will ask how long did you stay out of country?)

[teeak 224]

If you stay out for more than 6 months but less than 1 year, CBP will usually question you upon your return and tell you that you a GC is for living in the US and you shouldn't spent more time outside the US.

If you stay out for more than 1 year, then the US will consider your GC abandoned.

If you need to stay out for more than 1 year then you can request a reentry permit by filing a Form I-131. It will allow you to stay out of the US for up to 2 years.

Of course, how long you stay out also affects when you can apply for citizenship. https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Citizenship%20%26%20Naturalization%20Based%20Resources/A%20Guide%20to%20Naturalization/PDFs/M-480.pdf

Edited February 19, 2016 by teeak

[karachiite 4]

How long can one stay out of country while having the green card? is there a limit of months, days, etc. . . . (I'm sure it affects when one is trying to apply for citizenship because they will ask how long did you stay out of country?)

THESE ARE THE REAL EXCERPT FROM USCIS.GOV

• Physically present in the U.S. for thirty months within the five year period before applying,(people who can apply after 5 yrs)
• physically present in the U.S. for eighteen months within the three year period before applying in the case of qualified spouses of U.S. citizens(people who can apply after 3 yrs)

absences from the United States of six months or more may disrupt the continuous residency required for naturalization. If your absence is one year or longer and you wish to preserve your continuous residency in the United States for naturalization purposes, you may file an Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes on Form N-470.

[Amhara 460]

The Form N-470 appears to be applicable only for LPR's that are outside of the US working for specific agencies. (https://www.uscis.gov/n-470)

If you will be out of the US for 364 days and are a LPR, you could lose your status, and therefore need to apply for AP (Form I-131). The AP cannot be extended. LPRs that have been outside of the US past the AP expiration date may apply as a returning resident with SB-1. (http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/returning.html) However, they must prove US domicile.

[kausar 26]

The Form N-470 appears to be applicable only for LPR's that are outside of the US working for specific agencies. (https://www.uscis.gov/n-470)

If you will be out of the US for 364 days and are a LPR, you could lose your status, and therefore need to apply for AP (Form I-131). The AP cannot be extended. LPRs that have been outside of the US past the AP expiration date may apply as a returning resident with SB-1. (http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/returning.html) However, they must prove US domicile.

Re entry cannot be extended but one can return before its expiry and apply for another one.