Re-Entry Permit at the port of entry

[maithala]

I need some advice from anybody who has gone thru the same situation as me.

I recd my greencard in april and in the month of may, i applied for re-entry permit and went with 2 kids to india (1 GC, 1 Citizen) and started their schooling there while my husband continued his job here as usual. Now after 6 month, i came alone to join my hubby for a month. In the port of entry, somehow i forgot to produce the reentry permit i had in hand. The officer asked me why i was away for 6 months and warned me that it might lead to losing the PR Status. I told him that i had some family committment but even then i did not show the reentry permit. He wrote on my passport 'out for 6 months'. Later i came to know from my hubby that if i had produced the re-entry permit, this problem would not have arisen at all. Anyway, now my question is : if i am coming back once again with my kids in the month of apr, can i still show the same reentry permit?
Since there are no entries in it, will it lead to problems?
Since it is entered in the pp as 'out for 6 months' will it lead to any complication in the future?

Please whoever knows about this situation, pls enlighten me. I am feeling terrible for not doing my duty of showing the re-entry permit at the port of entry.
Thank you.

 

[Coolboy]

As per my understanding, the reentry permit is valid for around 2 years and that it can be used if you are planning to stay out of US for more than 6 months or so. So as long as you are having a valid re-entry permit that should not be a problem. However I don't think you need to show that when you come back again if you are not crossing 6 month period(i.e., out of US for more than 6 months). You can show it either, it does not matter. You are fine right now. No need to worry too much about the comment from the IO at the port of entry. Try not to repeat and you should be fine. When you are a PR, they try to see how is your intent of staying here in this country and that's it.