Can Immigration tell someone where they can or cannot live?

[panamania79 2]

One of my relatives finally got her green card in July and she went to Panama for a few months.On her trip back,Immigration stopped her in the airport and said she couldn't go to panama and stay for long periods of time.#######?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

True. If you leave the US for extended periods of time, you loose your permanent residence.

[Staashi 371]

Well, if they suspect that she's using her LPR status to just come and go to the USA/Panama as she pleases instead of maintaining a residence then yes, they can tell her that she needs to stay put for awhile.

[jundp 191]

Isn't it more than 2 years?

[panamania79 2]

Well, if they suspect that she's using her LPR status to just come and go to the USA/Panama as she pleases instead of maintaining a residence then yes, they can tell her that she needs to stay put for awhile.

She explained to them that she has two houses down there and they told her to sell them!

[Anna C. 4]

You gotta stay more than 50% of the year in the US. If you stay outside longer, you need a reentry permission or something like that.

[Staashi 371]

She explained to them that she has two houses down there and they told her to sell them!

Well, they are seeing that she has no intentions to live permanently in the US.

[sachinky 465]

To maintain her LPR status, she needs to spend more time in the U.S. rather than in Panama.

So theoretically, yes. They can dictate where you live.

[Darnell 8,479]

Many things to review for 'abandoning permanent resident status', yes?

One of the things, is the duration of 'out of the USA' when returning.

The 'rule of thumb', nothing so official, was 6 months, bascially 'no questions asked'.

She got pegged on 4 months duration? WOW. Sorry to hear it. At least they let her into the country.

Perhaps you can talk her into making the two houses into 'foreigner guest houses', charge some serious monies for them instead, have a cousin down there manage it all, instead of selling them.

Edited December 28, 2009 by Darnell

[Ban Hammer 13,636]

True. If you leave the US for extended periods of time, you loose your permanent residence.

i hate it when that happens!

[Darnell 8,479]

She explained to them that she has two houses down there and they told her to sell them!

If she was coming in as a tourist, that'd be great news to CBP. But, since she's not a tourist, is really not the right thing to say to them. But hey, thats all conjecture from me, at this point. She can request a review of any notes made at the POE from CBP/ICE/DHS via the FOIA , if she's really upset about it, to think to slam the workers, use the notes as fodder for a lawsuit , sometime in the future - if she really thinks she was harrassed.

I don't see any merit to a lawsuit, though..

[panamania79 2]

Many things to review for 'abandoning permanent resident status', yes?

One of the things, is the duration of 'out of the USA' when returning.

The 'rule of thumb', nothing so official, was 6 months, bascially 'no questions asked'.

She got pegged on 4 months duration? WOW. Sorry to hear it. At least they let her into the country.

Perhaps you can talk her into making the two houses into 'foreigner guest houses', charge some serious monies for them instead, have a cousin down there manage it all, instead of selling them.

She tried that already.She put one of her nieces in charge of the houses and her 3 kids trashed one house!

If she was coming in as a tourist, that'd be great news to CBP. But, since she's not a tourist, is really not the right thing to say to them. But hey, thats all conjecture from me, at this point. She can request a review of any notes made at the POE from CBP/ICE/DHS via the FOIA , if she's really upset about it, to think to slam the workers, use the notes as fodder for a lawsuit , sometime in the future - if she really thinks she was harrassed.

I don't see any merit to a lawsuit, though..

She wasn't thinking of suing but every time she goes,they stop her when she comes back!

[Ladylethal 12]

How much time does she spend there versus the time she spends in the US? Until she's a citizen she has to live in the US and that means spending most of her time here.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

One of my relatives finally got her green card in July and she went to Panama for a few months.On her trip back,Immigration stopped her in the airport and said she couldn't go to panama and stay for long periods of time.#######?

NO, They cannot and DO NOT tell people where to live. They CAN revoke permanent resident cardss for people that are nor permanent residents or do not intend to live as permanent residents. But make no mistake, your relative is FREE to live in Pananma and USCIS cannot say no under any circumstances. They can just revoke her green card.

If she will be out of the country for more than one year, she needs an advance paraole to return. She needs to file income tax every year and she needs to maitian a home in the USA to keep her green card.

[panamania79 2]

How much time does she spend there versus the time she spends in the US? Until she's a citizen she has to live in the US and that means spending most of her time here.

She spends 4-5 months out of the year in Panama.She hadn't been back in three years prior to Julu because she was waiting for them to approve her green card.She did have a 10 year visa but the "lovelies" at innmigration took it away from her and said she had to apply for the green card.