Green Card Question..

[jj8951]

How long can you stay outside the US if you have a green card?

What can happen if they decide to return to the US after 3-4 years? What happens at the airport with the immigration?

[AkMike]

I haven't ever heard of a set timefrane allowed. It'd seem that you could stay out as long as the card is valid.
 We've been out for 3 weeks before and this time we're going to be out 5 weeks.

[William3rd]

THere are limits- 180 days out and the alien loses accrual for Naturalization. 1 year out and the alien has deemed to abandon his residency. THere are exceptions. IN addition a reentry permit allows stays outside the US for upt to 2 years.

On another note, aliens who hold green cards who only visit the US a couple weeks a year often end up in immigration proceedings because they are not really residing here.

[jj8951]

Thank you!
What do you think will happen to them at he airport if they have already bought tickets and planning to visit? Any idea?

[William3rd]

Are you saying that you have aliens returning to the US without travel papers, reentry permits, etc who have been out 4 years?

1- they can be turned around and sent back on the return flight.

2- they can be paroled and sent on to report to Deferred Inspections where they would then be required to show their intentions- they would likely then be sent to EOIR to be ordered removed unless they withdrew their applications for entry. THIS IS MOST LIKELY IN LA.

3- they can be sent before an immigration judge in removal proceedings.

How about they report to the US consulate and say- oh by the way, we returned home 4 years ago and would like a tourist visa. can you take these nasty old green cards away and give us a nice fresh tourist visa?

[Ronnie]

Wm,
I know the DHS agent at the POE asks how long the person has been out of the United States but if the person says a shorter period that what is true, how can the agent know otherwise?

[Jet]

Wm,
I know the DHS agent at the POE asks how long the person has been out of the United States but if the person says a shorter period that what is true, how can the agent know otherwise?

Just check the computer monitor in front of them...
DHS keeps records of the comings and goings of citizens and residents, just like they do for visa holders. (you just don't get that sporty I-94 card)

[William3rd]

The burden is on the ALIEN to prove where they have been, not on the officer to disprove. If the passport says the last activity was four years ago-what do they say? Passport stamps showing entrance to another country are pretty conclusive of where they were at some point in time.

Forged stamps perhaps????   Just what we need- more lying scumbags taking advantage of the system.

[Ronnie]

When my wife and I entered the US in Fort Lauderdale in December after a trans-atlantic cruise, there was no electronic anything in front of them, nor was there any record of our departure from the states at SFO. 

AerLingus was only concerned my wife would not be allowed to enter Ireland without a visa lest they be obliged to return her to the states (actually, she was admitted in Ireland only because we had a separate ticket to leave for Italy).

As to my passport, I challenge anyone to look at the scores of stamps in it and figure out my comings and goings with any degree of certainty.

Do the people commuting daily between Windsor, ON and Detroit really get their passport stamped or entrances and exits recorded?

[William3rd]

That is not the point of this discussion. The point is aliens committing fraud to enter/reenter the US, not lawful entries.

[Ronnie]

How long can you stay outside the US if you have a green card?

What can happen if they decide to return to the US after 3-4 years? What happens at the airport with the immigration?

Original question(s)...