New Jersey Immigration Lawyer Discusses Studying Abroad With Just a Green Card
As an experienced New Jersey Immigration Lawyer, I am often asked by clients about if you can study abroad with just a Green Card. Recently, someone came to my office, they were a Green Card holder for six years, and they wanted to study abroad for over one year. It’s a fairly common request to study abroad, work abroad. They wanted to know how they could leave the US without damaging their Green Card status. The USCIS has produced a form for this purpose called the I-131, and this form has multiple purposes. One of them is to obtain a reentry permit, and that permits a Green Card holder to remain outside of the US for up to two years.
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When someone applies for the reentry permit, they must be in the US when they apply, and they must stay here until they have taken their fingerprints. If people are in such a rush that they leave before they have taken their fingerprints, the application will be denied. It is definitely possible to take your fingerprints, go abroad, and designate an embassy or another location abroad where you want the reentry permit to be mailed. You have to submit proof of your status, photos, the filing fee, and a legitimate reason why you want to remain abroad. My advice to people who are thinking about traveling abroad is to plan ahead and file for that reentry permit. That way, you won’t have to be rushing back, and you won’t have to be worrying about any problems with your Green Card status.
Do you want to study abroad but you haven’t applied for a reentry permit yet? Contact our New Jersey Immigration Lawyer for help.
This educational blog was brought to you by Susan Scheer, an experienced New Jersey Immigration Lawyer.