10 Sep Can I travel outside the US and come back with expired green card?

By Atty. Crispin Caday Lozano

Many people want to travel outside the U.S only to find out that their green card expired.   If you are in this situation you need to renew your green card and make an appointment with USCIS Contact Center to make an appointment to have your foreign passport stamp allowing you to travel outside the U.S.

The stamp in your passport will have an expiration date on it, which is usually six months from when it was placed there. As long as the expiration date hasn’t passed, and won’t pass while you are away from the U.S., you are free to travel.

Here are a couple of other useful precautions: Check the expiration date on your passport itself. If your passport will expire while you’re away, get a new one. But make sure you don’t have to give the old one up. You will need to carry both the old and new passport with you, since the old one has your permanent residence stamp.

Also, leave a photocopy of your passport and permanent residence stamp with someone who will be in the U.S. while you are away, in case your passport gets stolen or lost. (If it is, you’ll need to get a new one, then go to the nearest U.S. consulate to get a new permanent residence stamp for U.S. entry. Having a fax copy  of your permanent residence stamp will help enormously.)

One last thing to remember: You shouldn’t stay outside the U.S. for more than six months, or do anything else to indicate that your true intent is to live outside the United States. People can lose their permanent residence by “abandoning” it.

Note:  This is not a legal advice.

SUCCESS STORIES

1. For the month of August, 2019, we received approval from Immigration Court for a waiver of misrepresentation for a client who has committed marriage fraud. We also received approval from USCIS of two naturalization applications and two fiancé visa petition.
2. For the month of July 2019, we received approvals of two N-400 application for Naturalization, one I-751 Petition to remove condition of residence with interview and two I-90 renewal of green card.
3. For June 2019, we received approvals of four adjustment of status, six naturalization applications and two certificate of citizenship applications, and one Removal of condition on resident.
4. On May 6, 2019, we received approvals of three adjustment of status applications and two Naturalization applications.
5. On April 24, 2019, we received approval from USCIS for three naturalization applications and one adjustment of status.
6. On March 29, 2019, we received an approval of adjustment of status for a client whose petitioner and primary beneficiary has died under INA 204(l)
7. On March 28, 2019, we received an approval of renewal of green card for a client who was in the Philippines under medical treatment for one and a half years.
8. From March 4 to 26, 2019, we received six adjustment of status approvals.
9. For the month of February, 2019, we received tow approvals of renewal of green card and one approval of removal of condition on residence.
10. On January 16, 2019, we received an approval of naturalization for a client who received a waiver of misrepresentation in Immigration Court.
11. On January 28, 2019 we received an approval of adjustment of status for a client who entered on a visa waiver.

If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation.

Crispin Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers.  He practices immigration law, bankruptcy and personal injury law since June 1999.  His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net