Frequently Asked Questions On Immigration
Green Card Holder Abroad for a Long Time
Q.
My daughter just got her permanent residence. I want her to return to the Philippines to
study. Will she lose her green card if she spends too much time abroad?
A. To protect her permanent residence, your daughter should get a reentry
permit. She must apply for the permit before she goes abroad. It is valid for up to two
years outside the United States, but she can renew the permit in two-year intervals. If
your daughter spends a lot of time abroad without getting the permit, the INS may think
that she has abandoned her U.S. residence and deny her reentry. If she spends a continuous
year abroad without the permit, her permanent resident card will no longer be valid for
entry. To get the permit, you must file INS form I-131, Application for Permission to
Return to an Unrelinquished Domicile. You can get the form and filing instructions by
calling (1800) INS-FORM or download it from the Internet at
www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms.
(By Alan Wernick)
 
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