2 year green card

[cdrrck24 0]

Im trying to find the correct answer. My wife will have a 2 year green card soon. She needs to go home to Thailand to finish her studies. How long can she be outside of the country? She has a US Bank Account, Address, and other payments (cellphone). I read that someone can be 6 months and apply for an extension to be up to a year, but is this true with a 2 year green card?

Thank you for any info.

[HeatDeath 430]

You can stay out up to 6 months, without a reentry permit. If you stay out longer than 6 months without a reentry permit, your permanent residence is considered to be abandoned. If you get a reentry permit (you file for it with an I-131, the same form you filed for the advance parole), (and it MUST be approved and in your hand before you leave) you can stay out for up to a year. I do not believe it is possible, even with a reentry permit, to stay out for more than a year without losing your permanent residence, though I may be wrong.

Be aware though, if you stay out for more than 6 months, that resets the clock on how long you have to live in the US to be eligible to apply for citizenship.

[HeatDeath 430]

I believe I stand corrected. This link appears to be an authoritative answer:

https://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/ph...amp;p_topview=1

[Dakine 26]

You can stay out up to 6 months, without a reentry permit. If you stay out longer than 6 months without a reentry permit, your permanent residence is considered to be abandoned. If you get a reentry permit (you file for it with an I-131, the same form you filed for the advance parole), (and it MUST be approved and in your hand before you leave) you can stay out for up to a year. I do not believe it is possible, even with a reentry permit, to stay out for more than a year without losing your permanent residence, though I may be wrong.

Be aware though, if you stay out for more than 6 months, that resets the clock on how long you have to live in the US to be eligible to apply for citizenship.

Be aware though, if you stay out for more than 6 months, that resets the clock on how long you have to live in the US to be eligible to apply for citizenship.

Where did you get that information?

[HeatDeath 430]

Be aware though, if you stay out for more than 6 months, that resets the clock on how long you have to live in the US to be eligible to apply for citizenship.

Where did you get that information?

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/chapter4.pdf

The rule on continuous residence.

The whole guide can be found here:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...000b92ca60aRCRD

Edited January 26, 2010 by HeatDeath

[Dakine 26]

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/chapter4.pdf

The rule on continuous residence.

The whole guide can be found here:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...000b92ca60aRCRD

Can't find anything about 6 months start your time requirement over.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Can't find anything about 6 months start your time requirement over.

Page 22

Continuous Residence

“Continuous residence” means that you have not left the United States for a long period of time. If you leave the United States for too long, you may interrupt your continuous residence.

What if I was outside the United States between 6 and 12 months?

If you leave the United States for more than 6 months,but less than 1 year, you have broken or disrupted your continuous residence unless you can prove otherwise.

Read the “Document Checklist” in the back of this Guide to find out what information you must give to prove you did not break your continuous residence.

Document Checklist

If you have taken any trips outside the United States that lasted six months or more since becoming a Permanent Resident, send evidence that you (and your family) continued to live, work and/or keep ties to the United States, such as:

An IRS tax return "transcript" or an IRS-certified tax return listing tax information for the last five years (or for the last three years if you are applying on the basis of marriage to a U.S. citizen).

Rent or mortgage payments and pay stubs.

If you cannot prove ties to the US as outlined, you cannot prove you didn't disrupt your CR.

So if your CR is disrupted, you have to rebuild your CR time, again. (I believe this is what HeatDeath is getting at)

[Otto 83]

Im trying to find the correct answer. My wife will have a 2 year green card soon. She needs to go home to Thailand to finish her studies. How long can she be outside of the country? She has a US Bank Account, Address, and other payments (cellphone). I read that someone can be 6 months and apply for an extension to be up to a year, but is this true with a 2 year green card?

Thank you for any info.

So - am always curious when this question gets asked - just how long do you think she will be out of the country?

[cdrrck24 0]

So - am always curious when this question gets asked - just how long do you think she will be out of the country?

We hope only 4 months. The K-1 visa came faster then expected and she was not able to finish her final semester of college. Hopefully she can now. Thank you for all the information.

Rick

[payxibka 10,045]

Im trying to find the correct answer. My wife will have a 2 year green card soon. She needs to go home to Thailand to finish her studies. How long can she be outside of the country? She has a US Bank Account, Address, and other payments (cellphone). I read that someone can be 6 months and apply for an extension to be up to a year, but is this true with a 2 year green card?

Thank you for any info.

a 2 yr greencard holder is still considered a resident.... the only difference between a 2yr card and a 10 yr card is the "conditions" that a bonfide marriage relationship needs be proven to renew... all other rights & benefits are available to the cardholder

[HeatDeath 430]

If you cannot prove ties to the US as outlined, you cannot prove you didn't disrupt your CR.

So if your CR is disrupted, you have to rebuild your CR time, again. (I believe this is what HeatDeath is getting at)

Thank you, exactly. Also, there's the wrinkle where you need (non-continuous) 30 months of physical presence (out of the 36 month three year period), so if you're gone for more than 6 months, you won't have the physical presence necessary to apply anyways.