If you have a green card, then you are a permanent resident of the United States. This allows you to stay much longer than you traditionally would be allowed to stay on a visa, and it is often a step people take before becoming a naturalized citizen.
That being said, you may be wondering if you are allowed to leave the United States after you obtain permanent resident status. Can you travel outside of the country, or would that put your status in jeopardy?
Traveling for less than a year
As a general rule, you are allowed to take short trips outside of the United States. When you re-enter, you will need to present appropriate documentation, such as your green card, a valid passport from your country of origin and other forms of identification. You should be able to leave and re-enter the country without issue if your trip is relatively brief.
The trouble arises if you leave for too long, the government may consider you to have abandoned your status.
One way to address this issue if you will be out of the country for more than a year is by using Form I-131, which is a reentry permit. If you apply for the reentry permit before taking your trip, you can then use it to re-enter the country, even if it has been more than a year.
You can also take other steps to show that you never intended to abandon your status. Examples include demonstrating that you have a U.S. mailing address, that you have a valid driver’s license, that you still hold U.S. bank accounts and that you own residential or commercial property.
Planning in advance
Often, the key is simply to plan in advance and obtain the correct permits before you travel. It is very important to know what legal steps to take so that you do not complicate your immigration status, so it can help to work with an experienced attorney.