Leaving the US for 1 year after wining the GC lottery

[AylaSar]

Hello, I am facing a decision and I hope you could help me sort things out. I arrived to the US in April, after winning the GC lottery.I'm a freelance journalist and foreign correspondent so I was not employed by the US company, but lived in Baltimore, MD.
Now I got a job offer in Europe, in Prague, and the contract is for a year (or so).
I wonder if anybody has an experience in keeping the LPR status active while being out of the country? Would it be a problem for me to return eventually as a green card holder?
Many thanks for your time.

 

[Sm1smom]

Apply for a re-entry permit and wait to complete the biometrics appointment associated with it before leaving the US. That serves as a strong evidence of no intention of abandoning your LPR status.

 

[BlueCobra]

As a permanent resident you can't live outside the USA, for more than six consecutive months. So for example, after you have lived in Prague for say five months and 25 days come to the USA for a weekend or even a single day to stop the clock and then go back to Prague again and you can stay there for nearly six months more.

That's easy.

Good Luck !

 

[MYbraindrain]

As a permanent resident you can't live outside the USA, for more than six consecutive months. So for example, after you have lived in Prague for say five months and 25 days come to the USA for a weekend or even a single day to stop the clock and then go back to Prague again and you can stay there for nearly six months more.

That's easy.

Good Luck !

Uh... are you sure?

http://lawandborder.com/risk-abandoning-green-card-abroad-6-months/

My point here is that being abroad for under 6 months (actually 180 days) is one of the requirements but is not enough–the trips abroad must still fall within the judicial definition of “temporary.” The clearest example is the “touchdown” situation: somebody who lives abroad but who briefly “touches down” in the U.S. once every 5 months for vacation. This person has abandoned LPR status so should not be readmitted as an LPR, despite keeping every trip abroad under 6 months.

I know there is official page mentioning the same, but couldn't find it and I'm busy ATM.

 

[Britsimon]

As a permanent resident you can't live outside the USA, for more than six consecutive months. So for example, after you have lived in Prague for say five months and 25 days come to the USA for a weekend or even a single day to stop the clock and then go back to Prague again and you can stay there for nearly six months more.

That's easy.

Good Luck !

This is not correct.

Absences of up to 1 year are OK, although are more likely to mean some extra questioning at the airport upon your return. Remember, an LPR can be found to have abandoned their LPR status by absences of shorter than 6 months.

Read the official comments here and click the maintaining residence link.

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident

 

[SusieQQQ]

As a permanent resident you can't live outside the USA, for more than six consecutive months. So for example, after you have lived in Prague for say five months and 25 days come to the USA for a weekend or even a single day to stop the clock and then go back to Prague again and you can stay there for nearly six months more.

That's easy.

Good Luck !

Not true. Absent up to a year is ok and longer than that you can get a reentry permit valid for up to two years.
What is true and what you may be getting confused with hence your “clock” reference is that the period counting towards naturalization resets if you are absent longer than 6 months.

Also uscis personnel are really not that stupid that arriving for a weekend every 5 months and 3 weeks confuses them into thinking you’re not living elsewhere.

 

[Mushy_hot]

Correct. Don't take risk of losing green card.

Not true. Absent up to a year is ok and longer than that you can get a reentry permit valid for up to two years.
What is true and what you may be getting confused with hence your “clock” reference is that the period counting towards naturalization resets if you are absent longer than 6 months.

Also uscis personnel are really not that stupid that arriving for a weekend every 5 months and 3 weeks confuses them into thinking you’re not living elsewhere.