Beside benefits a Green card can give, there is a question about further travelling. For example, can one leave the U.S. if he is a Green card holder and how long he can stay abroad?
These regulations are run by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and have become stricter than before. Hence, Green card holders cannot stay abroad for more than one year without a reentry the United States to establish continuous physical presence to keep legal status.
Physical presence is needed to show that the permanent resident was not intending to abandon the Green card and he has maintained his or her ties in the U.S.
The U.S. ties are shown by the documents, proving your ownership of some real estate, or rent of apartment, bank account statements and tax returns. Still, it is more difficult when the green card holder was abroad for more than one year.
After one year of absence, a removal proceeding can get started. If a removal proceeding takes place, one of them and probably the best option is to request for voluntary departure. It allows to return to the native country and give up the Green card. It also allows to apply for a new Green card at once and the process will start anew.
Another reason to request for voluntary departure is not to receive ban on reentering the United States, because it can turn up to 10 years one cannot enter the U.S. This is why it is so important for Green card holders to return in time and plan all the trips beforehand.
