In this article, you will learn whether you can lose your legal permanent residence in the United States.
“I am an American resident but have not entered the USA for two years. “Would you let me enter the country?” asked a user in a Cuban group on Facebook.
You should know that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reports the following on its official website:
“The Permanent Residence or Green Card is valid for readmission to the United States after a trip abroad if you will not be away for more than a year. If the resident’s trip lasts longer than a year, he or she must obtain a re-entry permit.
In this regard, the US Embassy in Havana made it clear to the Cuban community on the island: “In general, legal permanent resident status in the United States is automatically lost if one stays outside the country for more than one year.”
This was revealed in a video that was part of their “30 Tips in 30 Days” in which they explained what happens when a legal permanent resident stays outside the United States for more than a year.
LOSING RESIDENCE IN THE UNITED STATES
The U.S. diplomatic headquarters reported that those who have remained outside the U.S. for more than a year or beyond the validity period of their re-entry permit “will need to apply for a new immigrant visa to be readmitted to the United States.”
USCIS states that it is possible to “excuse the delay if it is due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the residents’ control.”
“Lawful permanent residents and green card holders who have left the United States and have been unable to return within the permitted time period for reasons beyond their control may apply for a returning resident visa,” they claim .
To do this, the petitioner must demonstrate “that return to the United States is not possible for reasons beyond his control and for which he is not responsible.”