What happens if a green card holder leaves the U.S. for a long period of time?

If a green card holder leaves the U.S. for an extended period of time, they may lose their legal status. When a non-citizen leaves the United States, the Department of Homeland Security considers them to have abandoned their green card status. If they stay outside of the U.S. for more than one year, it is presumed that they have abandoned their green card status. However, in some cases, a green card holder may be able to get their legal status reinstated. To do this, they will need to seek a returning resident visa from the nearest U.S. consulate. To get a returning resident visa, the green card holder must prove that their time away from the United States was due to reasons beyond their control and that they did not intend to abandon their residence. If the green card holder does not have a valid returning resident visa and returns to the United States, they may be subject to immigration laws, including deportation proceedings. Furthermore, in the Washington, employers are prohibited from discriminating against workers or potential employees on the basis of their immigration status. Thus, green card holders leaving the U.S. for a long period of time should be aware of the potential consequences and plan accordingly.

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Si un titular de la tarjeta verde deja los Estados Unidos durante un largo periodo de tiempo, existe el riesgo de perder la residencia permanente en el país. Esto se debe a que dejar el país por un periodo prolongado de tiempo, sugiere que el titular de la tarjeta verde ya no tiene intenciones de mantener su residencia permanente en los Estados Unidos. Esto también se conoce como abandono de la residencia, y puede llevar a la cancelación de la tarjeta verde y la residencia permanente. En Washington, un titular de la tarjeta verde debe asegurarse de hablar con un abogado de inmigración antes de salir del país durante un largo periodo de tiempo. Un abogado puede proporcionar la información y los documentos necesarios para comprobar que se esta saliendo del país temporalmente y no abandonando la residencia. En estos casos, el titular de la tarjeta verde puede conservar su residencia permanente. Si el titular de la tarjeta verde se encuentra fuera de los Estados Unidos durante 180 días (6 meses) o más, es posible que sea necesario un periodo más largo para volver al país. Esto se debe a que el gobierno de los Estados Unidos es responsable de determinar si el titular de la tarjeta verde ha perdido o no su residencia permanente. Por esta razón, es importante recurrir a la ayuda profesional si se planea salir del país por un periodo prolongado de tiempo.

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