Q: Can I go back to my home country after my I-485 is approved?

D

djohan

Registered Users (C)
Hi,
I just had my greencard approved on december 2004 and i am planning to go back to my home country in a couple months.
Have you heard if anyone get denied the permission to reenter? What possibly could happend? deported at the spot?
Thanks for any input!
 
Returning To Home Country

djohan said:
Hi,
I just had my greencard approved on december 2004 and i am planning to go back to my home country in a couple months.
Have you heard if anyone get denied the permission to reenter? What possibly could happend? deported at the spot?
Thanks for any input!
Click to expand...

I myself returned to my country in 12/04 after GC approval but my trip was for emergency purpose.I was not denied re-entry but was questioned by IO`s my purpose of going back to my country.

Bear in mind that it could haunt when you file for US citizenship.Just in case use your home PP instead of RTD.
 
I am hoping anyone who goes back to their country(unless emergency) should be beaten up and deported!

You claimed Asylum in this country against the country you want to go back to...Thats called Fraud!! Unless its an emergency..you shouldn't go back to the country EVER.
 
Well, the word "ever" is an appropriate one to use here. What if things in your home country change, after you get your greencard? Let's be considerate here, we can't just lable the people who return to their countries as "fraud." Most of us have not been to our home countries for years, and I'm sure most of us are anxious to do so once we get our green card. I don't see any problem with visiting your home coutnry after getting the GC, as it gives you the right to stay here permanently, unless you commit a crime. Just my opinion on this matter.

Gino
 
wantmygcnow said:
I am hoping anyone who goes back to their country(unless emergency) should be beaten up and deported!

You claimed Asylum in this country against the country you want to go back to...Thats called Fraud!! Unless its an emergency..you shouldn't go back to the country EVER.
Click to expand...

I hope that you understand that a country may change it's face. No matter what, there is always a possibility that the situation in your country will improve better.
 
gino said:
Well, the word "ever" is an appropriate one to use here. What if things in your home country change, after you get your greencard? Let's be considerate here, we can't just lable the people who return to their countries as "fraud." Most of us have not been to our home countries for years, and I'm sure most of us are anxious to do so once we get our green card. I don't see any problem with visiting your home coutnry after getting the GC, as it gives you the right to stay here permanently, unless you commit a crime. Just my opinion on this matter.

Gino
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I totally agree!.
 
Well I know that I will NEVEr go back to my home country even if someone gave me 1 million dollars!...In my opinion if you claim asylum, they should put it that you disown your home country and should be in your passport that you are not allowed to go back to that country...but thats just me cuz I have had bad experience with my home country while I was there..
 
wantmygcnow said:
Well I know that I will NEVEr go back to my home country even if someone gave me 1 million dollars!...In my opinion if you claim asylum, they should put it that you disown your home country and should be in your passport that you are not allowed to go back to that country...but thats just me cuz I have had bad experience with my home country while I was there..
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Does this also mean you have to disown your culture? I hope this is not the case because you would lose your roots this way! We, immigrants, are like houses. You can not change the foundation of these houses, but you can decorate and modify them. Good luck!
 
wantmygcnow,

Sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience in your home country that you may never go back there. Hope things will change for the better so that you can go back someday. We all have bad experiences at our coutnries, but there are lots of other good things that make us forget the bad experineces. Gino
 
Well I guess it is based on experiences. I mean asylum really means protection..and protection from your home country....it doesn't mean YOU FORGET your country..like shamson is talking about. If somoene rapes you lets say..and lets say it was a family member...would you still love that family member?????...I think Asylum means you are seeking protection..but not forget your culture.

Anyways once I had heated argument with one of my friends..from different country(also asylee)...I asked him that suppose you were a US citizen and U.S goes to fight against YOUR birth country..and asked you to fight for them against your country..Would you? Lets suppose they draft you to fight them..?Would you?...He got all pissed off when I said I would because U.S has really given me an identity rather than being having a scarlet letter from the country where I am from....i would fight in a heartbeat against "my" country...Well We haven't spoken since!...! Mind you he was an asylee and had said SOME really bad thigns about his country in his application..
 
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I always think of the German Jews who were afforded asylum abroad after World War II. Long after West Germany became a real democracy they were still unwilling to visit the places where they grew up. As an example, it took a lot of encouragement from the German government before Henry Kissinger's parents agred to tour their old hometown.

Asylum is a very serious business and the attitudes of some people toward visiting their home countries or renewing passports are deeply disturbing. In England right now there is a big controversy about this and it is becoming an issue in the upcoming elections. I just hope that the asylum process in the US would not be subject to the same kind of electoral scrutiny.


wantmygcnow said:
Well I guess it is based on experiences. I mean asylum really means protection..and protection from your home country....it doesn't mean YOU FORGET your country..like shamson is talking about. If somoene rapes you lets say..and lets say it was a family member...would you still love that family member?????...I think Asylum means you are seeking protection..but not forget your culture.

Anyways once I had heated argument with one of my friends..from different country(also asylee)...I asked him that suppose you were a US citizen and U.S goes to fight against YOUR birth country..and asked you to fight for them against your country..Would you? Lets suppose they draft you to fight them..?Would you?...He got all pissed off when I said I would because U.S has really given me an identity rather than being having a scarlet letter from the country where I am from....i would fight in a heartbeat against "my" country...Well We haven't spoken since!...! Mind you he was an asylee and had said SOME really bad thigns about his country in his application..
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hampton8844 said:
I always think of the German Jews who were afforded asylum abroad after World War II. Long after West Germany became a real democracy they were still unwilling to visit the places where they grew up. As an example, it took a lot of encouragement from the German government before Henry Kissinger's parents agred to tour their old hometown.

Asylum is a very serious business and the attitudes of some people toward visiting their home countries or renewing passports are deeply disturbing. In England right now there is a big controversy about this and it is becoming an issue in the upcoming elections. I just hope that the asylum process in the US would not be subject to the same kind of electoral scrutiny.
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I absolutely agree with you.

But if you have your parents and brothers/sisters in your home and they can't get visa to US, do you want to meet them or not in some emergency conditions?
 
That's just so meaningless to discuss if asylee could go back to home country or not. it all depends on how one values things. somebody may believe that their family re-union's even more important than taking risk of losing protection from the U.S. or even re-putting their lives in jeopardy or worse. so there is no absolutely correct answer about whether asylee could go back or not. different people have different cases. your own decision and judgement is the most correct one.
 
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country vs. government

Well, your friend said some bad things on the application about the government, not the country. I think we are talking very serious moral dilemmas here: who would you fight for? I mean, if ther is a potential for you to kill a family member on the other side? WEll, anyway, you gotta do what you gotta do, and your friend has to do what he has to do. It is so hard to respect an opinion that is so opposed to our own values, but sometimes you have to. Sorry that it broke off your friendship.
I broke off a friendship when someone told me that my country should be bombed and that I should go home if I don't like it here (as you know, I am not allowed to ever express any bad opinions about anything in the US - even if it is because I want improvement for my new country)
 
Response to the question asked

To answer your specific question: like a lot of issues in human affairs, the outcome to your plans depends on a number of factors. One thing for certain is that you will not be "deported at the spot." I have not heard of such a process, even by INS's arbitrary and capricious standards!

First, note that no one here can give you a definitive answer. Second, it is always good to talk to an immigration lawyer to get a sense of what is going on with the INS. Third, if you have a legitimate explanation or basis for your travel, do not be worried with some of the meaningless insinuations you read in this forum.

This is what may happen when you return: (a) nothing happens, the immigration officer is bored, underpaid and does not have the interest or the inclination to ask any intelligent questions (do not forget these are the same people who renewed Mohammed Atta's visa application after September 11); or (b) asks you why you returned to your home country and based on your explanation, either lets you in or if he wants to hassle you, you may be referred to your local INS District Counsel. The District Counsel may decide not to waste his/her time or may decide to challenge you. Then you may have to hire a lawyer and defend your decision to return.

Your return may be defensible. Have things changed back in your home country so as to allow you to travel without fear of continued persecution? A change of government or the replacement of the very people who persecuted you may be a good defense to any potential question the INS may raise. It may be hard for the INS to imagine but the world really changes. You may have a colorable defense specially if you have left your country a long time ago and you were being "dicked" around by the INS during that long period. There are also exceptions for humanitarian and exigent circumstances. So there it is, lots of gray and no black and white answers.

djohan said:
Hi,
I just had my greencard approved on december 2004 and i am planning to go back to my home country in a couple months.
Have you heard if anyone get denied the permission to reenter? What possibly could happend? deported at the spot?
Thanks for any input!
Click to expand...
 
Thank

TortFeasor said:
To answer your specific question: like a lot of issues in human affairs, the outcome to your plans depends on a number of factors. One thing for certain is that you will not be "deported at the spot." I have not heard of such a process, even by INS's arbitrary and capricious standards!

First, note that no one here can give you a definitive answer. Second, it is always good to talk to an immigration lawyer to get a sense of what is going on with the INS. Third, if you have a legitimate explanation or basis for your travel, do not be worried with some of the meaningless insinuations you read in this forum.

This is what may happen when you return: (a) nothing happens, the immigration officer is bored, underpaid and does not have the interest or the inclination to ask any intelligent questions (do not forget these are the same people who renewed Mohammed Atta's visa application after September 11); or (b) asks you why you returned to your home country and based on your explanation, either lets you in or if he wants to hassle you, you may be referred to your local INS District Counsel. The District Counsel may decide not to waste his/her time or may decide to challenge you. Then you may have to hire a lawyer and defend your decision to return.

Your return may be defensible. Have things changed back in your home country so as to allow you to travel without fear of continued persecution? A change of government or the replacement of the very people who persecuted you may be a good defense to any potential question the INS may raise. It may be hard for the INS to imagine but the world really changes. You may have a colorable defense specially if you have left your country a long time ago and you were being "dicked" around by the INS during that long period. There are also exceptions for humanitarian and exigent circumstances. So there it is, lots of gray and no black and white answers.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the intelligent input.
 
Tortfeasor, The nature of response shows that you dont travel much. I travel every 2 months out of the country and I have never felt that the "underpaid" immigration officer doesn't care. They care every bit..Its post 9/11 and you won't find a "bored" immigration officer. The fact is that even though it seems that the immigration officers are "bored", they are trained to notice every thing you say or NOT say...

So do NOt think that while you travel to your home country and come back and LIe and are caught in a lie..a "bored" officer will let you go...!

Immigration Laws are Laws, they wont change just because you wanted to get smart with Immigration....Just be careful!

Another weird story to tell you, One of my friends brother went to Amsterdam(he is white btw)..He went there had some fun..smoked some pot etc and came back to U.S...So ofcourse bad habits die hard, he went out looking for some pot and had some in possesion while he was pulled over. Needless to say, he was in the jail for a night and the prosecutor charged him with Drug Selling..Which can get you 10-12 years in Jail. Well during the trial, they had all his "pot escpades" in Amsterdam and other parts of europe..PICTURES! Immigration had pictures of him in the restaurants...etc....NO He wasn't wanted or was a criminial...Its just they are WATCHING EVERYONE..!! It shocked the hell out of his brother..!!

Government isn't as stupid as you all think :)
 
wantmygcnow said:
Tortfeasor, The nature of response shows that you dont travel much. I travel every 2 months out of the country and I have never felt that the "underpaid" immigration officer doesn't care. They care every bit..Its post 9/11 and you won't find a "bored" immigration officer. The fact is that even though it seems that the immigration officers are "bored", they are trained to notice every thing you say or NOT say...

So do NOt think that while you travel to your home country and come back and LIe and are caught in a lie..a "bored" officer will let you go...!

Immigration Laws are Laws, they wont change just because you wanted to get smart with Immigration....Just be careful!

Another weird story to tell you, One of my friends brother went to Amsterdam(he is white btw)..He went there had some fun..smoked some pot etc and came back to U.S...So ofcourse bad habits die hard, he went out looking for some pot and had some in possesion while he was pulled over. Needless to say, he was in the jail for a night and the prosecutor charged him with Drug Selling..Which can get you 10-12 years in Jail. Well during the trial, they had all his "pot escpades" in Amsterdam and other parts of europe..PICTURES! Immigration had pictures of him in the restaurants...etc....NO He wasn't wanted or was a criminial...Its just they are WATCHING EVERYONE..!! It shocked the hell out of his brother..!!

Government isn't as stupid as you all think :)
Click to expand...


It's unbeilevable. He could be on a watch list for some reason. i don't think INS has so much money to follow everybody and make pictures. They definitely were watching him long time before his trip.
 
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