Maintaining Your Permanent Residency and Immigration Status
There are some things you must do to maintain your permanent resident status.These are also important to remember if you plan to apply for U.S. citizenship in the future.
• Don’t leave the United States for
an extended period of time or
move to another country to live
there permanently.
• File federal, state, and, if applicable,
local income tax returns.
• Register with the Selective
Service, if you are a male
between the ages of 18 and 26.
• Give your new address to DHS.
In order to Keep Your Immigration Status, Permanent residents who leave the United States for extended periods, or who cannot show their intent to live permanently in the U.S., may lose their permanent resident status. Many immigrants believe they can live abroad as long as they return to the U.S. at least once a year.This is incorrect. If you think you will be out of the U.S. for more than 12 months, you should apply for a re-entry permit before leaving the country.You should file Form I-131, Application for a Travel Document.You can get this form at
http://www.uscis.gov or by calling the USCIS Forms Line at 1-800-870-3676.You must pay a fee to file Form I-131.
A re-entry permit is valid for up to two years.You may show the re-entry permit, instead of a visa or your Permanent Resident Card, at a port of entry. Having a re-entry permit does not guarantee that you will be admitted to the United States when you return, but it can make it easier to show that you are returning from a temporary visit abroad.
Source: Welcome to the United States, A Guide for New Immigrants. Pg.10 (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)