keeping green card

[Blackjack16]

I was wondering if any U.S. permanent residents (green card holder) that went to non-U.S. medical schools encountered troubles coming back to the U.S. or keeping their green cards while they were abroad. I heard in order to maintain the permanent resident status, we have to come back to the U.S. six month or at leat once a year. I heard that coming back to the U.S. every six month does not give us 100% guarantee for our permanent resident status. I heard it depends on immigration officer's mood. Does anyone has good suggestion or things they did to keep their green cards?

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[gwugrad2003]

Hello

I am not sure about having problems coming back, INS wise. But going on family experience I can tell you that I have relatives that are green card holders and have lived abroad. They resided abroad usually for the amount of time allocated by the airline. They range from 4-7months, which is ample time to spend semesters abroad and return home for vacations. My family members are green card holders for a little over 3 yrs now and they seem to have no problems traveling. I do remember once that my cousin stayed abroad for 2yrs and had no problems coming back. He just simply lost the money spent on his plane ticket home and had to buy another ticket.

Hope this helps

 

[redshifteffect]

I thought that you had to enter the country every year to keep your greencard status, but you can apply twice for a 3 year extension to stay abroad.

 

[pxz]

Check INS website (now it is called BCIS). They have all the answers for your questions.

 

[phenolphthalein]

Actually, this is a real issue. If you are not resident in the US for a year or more, you can be considered to have "abandoned" your residence in the US. They can confiscate your "green card" at the airport. Also you need to keep filing IRS tax returns or that can also be grounds for revoking permanent residency. What you need to do is simply apply for a leave of absence. I forget what the form is called, but you can download it off the INS (BCIS) website. Include in there all of your supporting documents showing that you have been accepted to medical school abroad and will need to be gone for four years. They give you that leave pretty easily and it takes all the stress off you (though you still have to file tax returns). They give you a special white colored passport that is valid for the length of the leave you have requested. You use this passport when you want to enter the US during that time. Keep in mind that going away for long periods of time like this will delay your naturalization process. You need to be physically residing in the US for three continuous years out of the last five as a permanent resident to be eligible for naturalization.

 

[Param]

I know for a fact that you have to make a trip at least once a year to keep your status active. Many times its upto the immigration officer who questions you at the airport whether he/she is satisfied with your answers. My brother-in-law comes into the country every 2 years as he has applied for a 2-year extension every time. But he says that with the present circumstances the INS is getting stricter & stricter as they feel that if you are not actually living in the US then you probably do not need that green card!

If I were you, I would talk directly with them. I have always had a nice experience when dealing with them.