1. Documents to be Submitted at the US Airport to Demonstrate Your Intention to Return
to the United States After a Long Absence
Being a citizen of a foreign country, you may become a permanent resident of the United
States and there are a quite a few ways through which you may immigrate to the United
States. You will have to be sponsored by a relative or an employer in America and undergo a
lot of paperwork. That is indeed, a tiresome process. However, you may also obtain an
immigrant visa, if you win the DV lottery program and if you are eligible for an immigrant visa.
But the US immigration officials will allow you to enter into the country only if you are
admissible into the United States. Once you enter the country with an immigrant visa, you
may get a Green Card, that is issued to foreign nationals who are granted lawful status in the
United States. Green Card holders are granted a variety of rights and you may also travel
abroad freely with a few restrictions. But a prolonged travel may cause a lot of troubles and
you may also be denied entry into the United States, if you travel abroad for a long period of
time without proper documentation.
If you are found to travel abroad often with an intention of abandoning your immigration status
in America, you may not be allowed to return to the United States and your Green Card may
be revoked. But there are certain circumstances where you might have traveled and resided
in a foreign country for genuine reasons. In such cases, upon your return, you will have to
prove that you had not planned to make that foreign country your home and you will have to
prove that you intend to live in the United States, through proper documentation. You may use
your Green Card to re-enter the country, if you had not resided abroad for more than a year.
But, if you intend to travel abroad for more than a year, you will have to obtain a re-entry
permit and that permit will allow you to travel abroad for two years and less. However, a re-
entry permit may alone may not be sufficient, if the US immigration officers doubt that you do
not intend to make the United States your permanent home. Similarly, you will have to obtain
a returning resident visa from an overseas US Embassy Consulate, if you had stayed outside
the United States, beyond the validity of your re-entry permit.
In such cases, you will have to present few other documents and you need to demonstrate
that you intend to reside permanently in the United States. You will have to submit proofs of
your social and family ties in the country. Still, the US immigration officers will ask you about
the purpose of your prolonged travel and whether you have abandoned your lawful
permanent resident status in the United States, even if you submit a re-entry permit and other
documents. Your employment in the United States, taxes that you had filed and your family
ties will help you to prove that you intend to return to the United States and make the country
your permanent home. Similarly, your US mailing address, property in the United States, your
business in the United States, US driver's license and your US bank accounts, may be
considered by the US immigration officers. Such evidence may be presented in order to prove
that your travel outside the country is only temporary.
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