Green card: how to keep your US permanent residence and when you can lose it
Translated from the Arabic original. Read in Arabic
A green card gives you the right to live and work permanently in the United States, but that right is not guaranteed for life without conditions. You can lose permanent residence if the authorities conclude that you have abandoned it, and the most common reason is a long stay in your home country.
Long trips: when do they become a problem?
Permanent residence means the United States is your main home. An absence of more than 6 months may lead a border officer to ask about your intentions and your ties to the United States. An absence of a full year or more is usually treated as abandonment, unless you obtained a re-entry permit before leaving. Long absences also affect the continuous residence requirement when you apply for citizenship.
The re-entry permit
If you know in advance that you will be away for a year or more, for example to care for a parent or for temporary work, apply for a re-entry permit with Form I-131 before you leave and while you are in the United States, because the application requires a biometrics appointment. The permit is usually valid for up to two years and shows that you did not intend to give up your residence. It does not, however, protect continuous residence for citizenship purposes.
If you are stuck abroad for more than a year
If you remained outside the United States for more than a year without a re-entry permit for reasons beyond your control, such as a sudden illness, you may apply at a US embassy for a returning resident (SB-1) visa. You must show that the delay was not your choice.
Renewing the card
A standard green card is usually valid for 10 years and is renewed with Form I-90. An expired card does not end your permanent residence, but it makes travel, work and proving your status harder, so renew before it expires. A two-year conditional card, issued on the basis of a recent marriage, follows a different process: you file Form I-751 to remove the conditions within the 90 days before it expires.
Obligations that protect your status
Tell USCIS about a change of address within 10 days of moving. File your tax return every year as a resident, because filing as a non-resident can be taken as abandoning your residence. If you are 18 or older, carry proof of your permanent resident status. And stay clear of any legal violations: some crimes can lead to removal proceedings even for green card holders.
Advice
If a long trip is likely, plan it before you travel, not after. Anyone who wants citizenship later should balance long trips against the naturalization requirements, because both depend on the days you spend inside the United States.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Laws change, so check the official sources below or the competent authority for your situation. Found a mistake? Tell us.