going back to Iraq, does my wife need a reentry permit?

[Alex 0]

I am deploying again in June and I would like to send my wife and baby to the Philippines to be with her family while I am gone. She will be there from July 07 to March 08. Does she need a reentry permit? She will be gone less than a year. Her Green Card (2 years) expires in July 2008. We will file for her 10 year card when I get back.

Thanks

-Alex

[Yodrak 7]

Alex,

Review the guidelines for retaining LPR status on the USCIS web site. I think the page is titled something like Now That You're A Permanent Resident. Hopefully meauxna will be along soon with the URL.

If it were me I'd consult with an immigration attorney who has had some experience with abandonment cases to get some pointers on what to do and what to not do to avoid unintended loss of status.

Yodrak

I am deploying again in June and I would like to send my wife and baby to the Philippines to be with her family while I am gone. She will be there from July 07 to March 08. Does she need a reentry permit? She will be gone less than a year. Her Green Card (2 years) expires in July 2008. We will file for her 10 year card when I get back.

Thanks

-Alex

[meauxna 15]

Review the guidelines for retaining LPR status on the USCIS web site. I think the page is titled something like Now That You're A Permanent Resident. Hopefully meauxna will be along soon with the URL.

If it were me I'd consult with an immigration attorney who has had some experience with abandonment cases to get some pointers on what to do and what to not do to avoid unintended loss of status.

Ditto.. looks OK on its face, but DO check it out with an attorney who knows what they're talking about (not all will).

Links in my siggy.

[Abygail 0]

Hopefully meauxna will be along soon with the URL.

I just want to add that you two make a great team and THANK YOU for everything you offer & add to VJ!

[Abygail 0]

And, of course, BEST WISHES Alex!

[Alex 0]

And, of course, BEST WISHES Alex!

Thanks. It might be cheaper for me to file for the reentry permit than to talk to a lawyer though.

[Yodrak 7]

Alex,

Maybe in a big city like NY or LA, but the fee for submiting an I-131 is $170 and a half-hour consultation should be less than that in most places.

And the re-entry permit is to address the time factor if the person has been out of the country for more than a year. I don't know if it addresses the other factors that could cause a person to lose their LPR status, although applying for one should be a good indication that a person is serious about keeping the USA as their primary place of residence.

Yodrak

..... It might be cheaper for me to file for the reentry permit than to talk to a lawyer though.

[Alex 0]

Alex,

Maybe in a big city like NY or LA, but the fee for submiting an I-131 is $170 and a half-hour consultation should be less than that in most places.

And the re-entry permit is to address the time factor if the person has been out of the country for more than a year. I don't know if it addresses the other factors that could cause a person to lose their LPR status, although applying for one should be a good indication that a person is serious about keeping the USA as their primary place of residence.

Yodrak

..... It might be cheaper for me to file for the reentry permit than to talk to a lawyer though.

Thanks Yodrak. I e-filed for the I-131 and am sending out the supporting docs today. I figured better safe than sorry.

[Yodrak 7]

Alex,

Does that mean that you'll be having a consultation as well as getting the re-entry permit?

Yodrak

..... I figured better safe than sorry.

[meauxna 15]

I e-filed for the I-131 and am sending out the supporting docs today. I figured better safe than sorry.

Alex, please check the first link in my signature. I-131 is only one small part of protecting your wife's PR status.

[June Kinney 0]

Alex,

Hopefully, you are still checking your message. Well, how about getting her the citizenship? You know, if you are deployed by the U.S. government or a company working under the contract with the U.S. goverment, your LPR spouse is eligible to apply for the citizenship right away regardless any time line.

My husband got a job with a company under the contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, worked in Afghanistan. I didn't know my right until it was too late. Now, I have just sent in an application for Naturalization follow by the 3 yrs rule.

[j-manu 0]

I am deploying again in June and I would like to send my wife and baby to the Philippines to be with her family while I am gone. She will be there from July 07 to March 08. Does she need a reentry permit? She will be gone less than a year. Her Green Card (2 years) expires in July 2008. We will file for her 10 year card when I get back.

Thanks

-Alex

Alex,

All the best for you in Iraq and for your unit. We hope that you will be home soon.

I believe that your wife will need a reentry permit if she is out of the country for more than a year and not over two years. You may want to set aside as much documentation for your I-751 as possible now to make it easier for you when you return.

Godspeed