Clarification on re-entry permit wrg working abroad?

[rav_oranges]

Guys,

Does taking a job abroad, even if you keep it to under two years and file a re-entry permit before you leave, mean that you have abandoned your GC?

Just sometimes I get real homesick and would like to be near my aging parents for a while and not when rushing around on holiday.

Any thoughts?

[Triple Citizen]

I totally understand your desire to be near aging parents. However I have to ask, if you are a GC holder, shouldn't the US be your home?

Originally Posted by rav_oranges

Just sometimes I get real homesick and would like to be near my aging parents for a while and not when rushing around on holiday.

[Jackolantern]

Originally Posted by rav_oranges

Does taking a job abroad, even if you keep it to under two years and file a re-entry permit before you leave, mean that you have abandoned your GC?

Your continuous residence for naturalization purposes will be broken, but you should be able to maintain the green card provided that you can show sufficient ties to the US.

Just sometimes I get real homesick and would like to be near my aging parents for a while and not when rushing around on holiday.

The US is your home now. As long as you have a green card, you need to think of and speak of it that way when dealing with anything immigration-related. You would be leaving your home (the US) for an extended visit with your parents, not going back home to see them.

[rav_oranges]

Thanks TripleCitizen and Jackolantern,

I understand you points about calling the US home. It's actually funny that in my contacts and GPS I have my address in the US listed as 'home' and that my parents place is listed as 'Mum&Dad'.

My father 50 years after leaving his birth country still refers to it as home.

I think it's more a figure of speech than anything else, but yes I take your points and will make that distinction.

Actually one more question.. if my wife and I want to visit my parents for an extended period of time, she might have to apply for whats called a settlement visa for the UK, now could that be construed as abandoning the US and hence the GC?

[Jackolantern]

Seeking permanent residence in another country and spending a long time in that country is definitely grounds for revoking the green card.

What is a UK "settlement visa"? Permanent residence? Or something you get while your UK PR is in process?

[hannah2]

Here's a link for some instruction for UK settlement visa:

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Fr...=1035796295766

[rav_oranges]

Originally Posted by Jackolantern

Seeking permanent residence in another country and spending a long time in that country is definitely grounds for revoking the green card.

What is a UK "settlement visa"? Permanent residence? Or something you get while your UK PR is in process?

It's pretty much a visa that my wife would have to apply for as she would be the spouse of a UK citizen, me. If I were to do this at some point, I agree I should try to get some visa that isn't called a settlement visa .. or else have a convincing argument to show it's not a gc abandonment.

Generally I'm getting the feeling this isn't a good idea as far as green card maintenence is concerned.

[Triple Citizen]

Why does she need that? A visitor is normally granted 6 months of entry to the UK.

Originally Posted by rav_oranges

Actually one more question.. if my wife and I want to visit my parents for an extended period of time, she might have to apply for whats called a settlement visa for the UK, now could that be construed as abandoning the US and hence the GC?

[rav_oranges]

Originally Posted by Triple Citizen

Why does she need that? A visitor is normally granted 6 months of entry to the UK.

Two reasons really.

The first is that there is a consultation paper out at the moment indicating that this may change to only 3 months of entry being allowed.

Secondly if I wanted to go for an extended period of time, say more than 6 months and less than 2 years, this maybe the only visa she could apply for.

However, I'm beginning to feel that I shouldn't complicate things if I can help it and keep my head down and get my citizenship here and then see what happens.