Traveling abroad for 9 months of research with 10 year green card?

[jalevy03 0]

Hi everyone,

I'm a U.S. citizen, and my wife is a Japanese citizen with a 10-year green card. I'm in a graduate program, and need to travel abroad for about nine months next year for some research.

I know that a re-entry permit isn't required for travel of less than one year, but that USCIS can also consider residency to have been abandoned for shorter periods of travel than that. What kind of evidence can we prepare (or what else can we do) to minimize difficulties on re-entry? Would a letter from my university stating the temporary nature of my travel be helpful? We won't be "maintaining a residence" if that means keeping an empty house (we rent), but we will have a large amount of furniture, etc. in storage. Would some evidence of that be helpful? I'll continue to be affiliated with my (U.S.) university, and obviously we'll continue paying U.S. taxes. Is there anything else we can do?

Thanks!

[Dave&Roza 748]

Hi everyone,

I'm a U.S. citizen, and my wife is a Japanese citizen with a 10-year green card. I'm in a graduate program, and need to travel abroad for about nine months next year for some research.

I know that a re-entry permit isn't required for travel of less than one year, but that USCIS can also consider residency to have been abandoned for shorter periods of travel than that. What kind of evidence can we prepare (or what else can we do) to minimize difficulties on re-entry? Would a letter from my university stating the temporary nature of my travel be helpful? We won't be "maintaining a residence" if that means keeping an empty house (we rent), but we will have a large amount of furniture, etc. in storage. Would some evidence of that be helpful? I'll continue to be affiliated with my (U.S.) university, and obviously we'll continue paying U.S. taxes. Is there anything else we can do?

Thanks!

All sounds good. If you have the time you could apply for a re-entry permit to be on the save side. Maintaining residency also has the intent to returning to the US or the intent to live abroad which are hard to prove. Your evidence should go a long ways towards showing that this is a temporary situation and you do not intend to live outside the US and your wife is going along to be with you. The CBP person that inspects your wife will be the determining person as to whether she is re-admitted to the US. It really depends on that person and the day they are having. The more evidence you have that this is temporary will help them make the decision to re-admitt your wife.

Good luck,

Dave