MikeMinusWife

Thanks for all the responses, a couple of responses. We applied for an ESTA and it was denied, so now she has an ESTA refusal on her record, I’m sure that isn’t good. We have no intention to permanently relocate to the US for the foreseeable future, we just want to visit occasionally. We decided to go ahead and book the flights but as a precaution we chose JFK as the port of entry only because it’s the easiest place to return to the UK from should the worst happen. To be honest it feels very strange to be worrying about potential deportation while in possession of a valid GC when countless thousands of Brits pay £21 online for an ESTA and off they go. But here we are 😬

Hi All, my wife was issued with a Green Card 2 years ago and due to COVID and associated changes to our personal circumstances we left the US and returned to live in the UK almost immediately after taking up residence in the US. So we have been living overseas now for 2 years with no return visits. We do however still maintain a U.S. mailing address and we file tax returns etc. I now need to return to the US for a business trip (not a problem for me as a US citizen) but my wife would like to come out with me for a week, so it’s just a vacation for her to be honest. The question is, would she be denied entry by US immigration for being out of the country for more than a year and is the only option to go through the lengthy SB-1 read missions process which would involve fees and interviews at the consulate? Seems excessive when a non-resident can get an ESTA so easily. Any advice appreciated.