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If you have been absent from the U.S. for one year or longer, you might be considered to have abandoned your status as a legal permanent resident (LPR) and your green card might no longer be valid. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the border of the U.S. may not allow you to enter the U.S., or alternatively the CBP officer could allow you to enter, but also refer your case to the immigration court to start legal proceedings to remove your legal permanent status. To avoid this, a returning Resident Visa may be available to some permanent residents that found themselves in extraordinary situations.

There is a variety of scenarios that could leave you stranded abroad and justify your long absence from the US. Here are some potential solutions to your situation.

Temporary Absence of Less Than One Year (Lost Green Card)

Legal permanent residents who lose their green card while outside the United States can return to the US. The legal permanent resident first must file an applicant for a travel document (Form I-131A) at the closest U.S. embassy or consulate. The application for a travel document can only be filed if you are returning from overseas travel of:

• Less than one year, and your green card has been lost, stolen or destroyed; or
• Less than two years, and your Re-entry permit has been lost, stolen or destroyed.

Temporary Absence of More Than One Year

An absence of more than one year can make things more complex for a legal permanent resident. Even if the LPR has a green card, the CBP officers will likely ask a series of questions to determine if the absence was temporary in nature. A legal permanent resident who has been living outside the United States will likely be referred to an immigration court for immigration proceedings. This is a serious matter. An immigration judge will decide if you have abandoned your legal permanent resident status.

This problem can be avoided by obtaining a Re-entry permit before departing the United States. A re-entry Permit is valid for entry to the United States for a period of up to two years. However, if you didn’t have a re-entry permit in hand and you still want to live in the US, you should seriously consider applying for a Returning Resident Visa.

Returning Resident Visa – Temporary Absence of More Than One Year

As explained above, a legal permanent resident who remained outside the United States for longer than one year, or beyond the validity period of a re-entry permit, will require a new immigrant visa to enter the United States and resume permanent residence. A provision exists under the U.S. law for the issuance of a returning resident visa to an LPR (Legal Permanent Resident) who remained outside the United States due to circumstances beyond his/her control.

If an LPR was unable to return to the United States within the maximum travel validity period of a green card (less than 1 year) or the maximum validity of the Re-entry Permit (up to 2 years), he can apply at the nearest U.S. Embassy for a Returning Resident (SB-1) immigrant visa.

If the application for returning resident status is approved, it eliminates the requirement that an immigrant visa petition be filed on your behalf with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

An applicant for Returning Resident Visa is required to establish eligibility for an immigrant visa

Qualifying for Returning Resident Status

To qualify for returning resident status, you will need to prove to the Consular Officer that you:

• Had the status of a legal permanent resident at the time of departure from the United States.
• Departed from the United States with the intention of returning and have not abandoned this intention.
• Is returning to the United States from a temporary visit abroad and, if the stay abroad was protracted, this was caused by reasons beyond your control and for which you were not responsible.

Applying for a Returning Resident Visa

An applicant should contact the nearest U.S. Embassy in advance of his intended travel (at least 6-12 months in advance, if possible) to permit sufficient time for visa processing. As part of the visa application process, an interview at the U.S. Embassy is required.

Required Documentation

When applying for a Returning Resident immigrant visa, an applicant should submit the following forms and documents to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate:

• A completed application to determine Returning Resident status (Form DS-117)
• His/her Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551
• His/her Re-entry Permit, if available

In addition, the applicant must also submit supporting documents that show the following:

• Dates of travel outside of the United States (Examples: airline tickets, passport stamps, etc.)
• Proof of his ties to the United States and his intention to return (Examples: tax returns, and evidence of economic, family and social ties to the United States)
• Proof that his protracted stay outside of the United States was for reasons beyond his/her control (Examples: medical incapacitation, employment with a U.S. company, etc.)

After submitting the application, a consular officer will review the application and supporting documents to determine whether the applicant meets the criteria for a Returning Resident status. The applicant must be eligible for the immigrant visa in all other respects before he/she is issued a Returning Resident immigrant visa.

All said and explained in this article does not constitute a legal opinion and does not replace legal advice. Responsibility for using the wordings and opinions conveyed in this article relies solely and entirely on the reader.

This article was written by Dotan Cohen Law Offices, working in the field of immigration law in Israel, the United States and Canada.

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90-Day rule

When applying for most nonimmigrant (temporary) U.S. visas, the applicant must declare and prove a “Nonimmigrant Intent” to the consular officer. In other words, he needs to show that he plans to return home when he completes the stated purpose of the trip

In fact, there is a presumption of immigrant intent in U.S. immigration law. Therefore, the burden of proof falls on nonimmigrant visa applicants to prove they have sufficient ties to their home country that will compel them to leave the U.S. after their temporary stay.

Sometimes a person enters the US, meets his other half, who is an American, and wants to marry him/her. Another scenario would be when a non-immigrants couple enters the US, one is a US citizen and the other is on a non-immigrant visa, and after sometime in the US they decide to marry. After the marriage, the non-immigrant spouse may like to stay in the US and apply for a green card. This process is called Adjustment of Status, and it happens when a non-immigrant wants to become an immigrant.

The 90-day rule applies a presumption of fraud if the nonimmigrant violates his status or engages in conduct inconsistent with his nonimmigrant status within 90 days of entry to the US. In other words, if a nonimmigrant attempts to Adjust Status during this 90-day period, the applicant should expect increased scrutiny of the application.

Who the 90-Day Rule Affect?

The following actions are sufficient to trigger the application of the 90-day rule:

• Engaging in unauthorized employment.

• Enrolling in school without authorization and/or the appropriate change of status.

• Marrying a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and taking up residence in the United States.

• Undertaking any other activity for which a change of status or an adjustment of status would be required, without changing or adjusting status.

90-Day Rule of I-485 Applicants (Adjustment of Status Application):

After 90-day period, there is no presumption of misrepresentation, and a nonimmigrant may approach the USCIS and ask to adjust his status to an immigrant status. However, if there’s a reasonable belief that the nonimmigrant misrepresented the purpose of his travel at the time of the visa application or application for admission, an immigration officer could use this against him.

This is still risky territory. If you entered the United States with a nonimmigrant visa and want to adjust status as an immediate relative of a US citizen, you should better wait at least 90 days before you initiate the process of adjusting your status to an immigrant status.

All said and explained in this article does not constitute a legal opinion and does not replace legal advice. Responsibility for using the wordings and opinions conveyed in this article relies solely and entirely on the reader.

This article was written by Dotan Cohen Law Offices, working in the field of immigration law in Israel, the United States and Canada.

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הגרלת הגרין קארד מתבצעת כל שנה בארה”ב כדי לאפשר הגירה לארה”ב ממדינות עם שיעור ההגירה נמוך לארה”ב.

בכל שנה ארה”ב מנפיקים 50,000 וויזות באמצעות תוכנית זו.

זכאות ותקופת הרשמה:

בכל שנה, במהשך כחודש (לרוב אוקטובר) מועדים הזכאים להשתתף יכולים להגיש טופס אחד להגרלת הגרין קארד.

יש לעמוד בשני קיטריונים כדי להיות זכאי להשתתף:

1. להיות אזרח של מדינה המזכה השתתפות בהגרלה.
2. להיות בעל (לפחות) תעודת סיום תיכון או שנתיים של ניסיון בתעסוקה מזכה בחמש שנים האחרונות.

השלמת טפסי הבקשה:

צריך למלא פרטים אישיים עבורך, בן/בת הזוג וכל ילד מתחת לגיל 21 ולצרף תמונת דרכון עבור כל אחד מבני המשפחה.

כל המידע חייב להיות מדוייק, שכן כל טעות קטנה בטופס ההרשמה יכולה לגרוע מהזכרות לקבלת הוויזה.

לאחר הגשת טופס הבקשה יתקבל מספר אישור.

בחירת הזוכים:

משרד החוץ האמריקאי יבחר באופן, אקראי, זוכים אשר עונים על תנאי הזכאות, התוצאות יוצגו בחודש מאי בשנה העוקבת. ניתן לבדוק אם זכית באמצעות מספר האישור שהתקבל לאחר הגשת הבקשה.

אם נבחרת, תצטרך למלא את יתר הטפסים של התבליך כדי לקבל את הגרין קארד.

זכיה בהגרלה:

זכיה בהגרלה אינה מבטיחה קבלת גרין קארד, אך היא מאפשרת הגשת בקשה לקבלת גרין קארד עבור הזוכה, בן/בת הזוג וכל בן משפחה מתחת לגיל 21 מבלי להיזקק לספונסור.

האמור במאמר זה אינו מהווה חוות דעת משפטית ואינו מהווה תחליף לקבלת ייעוץ משפטי פרטני. האחריות בשימוש על הנאמר במאמר הינה על הקורא בלבד.

מאמר זה נכתב ע”י משרד עו”ד דותן כהן, העוסק בתחום דיני ההגירה לישראל, ארה”ב, וקנדה.

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The Diversity Visa Program is run each year in the US to allow immigration to the US from countries with a historically low rate of immigration to the US.

Each year the US issues 50,000 visas for this program.

Eligibility and Entry Period

Every year, for about 1 month a year (usually October) eligible applicants can submit ONE entry into the Diversity Visa lottery.

There are only two criteria for eligibility:

1. To be a native from an eligible country
2. To have at least a high school diploma OR two years of qualifying work experience within the last 5 years

Completing your form:

You will need to fill out details about yourself, your spouse and all of your children under the age of 21, and include a passport picture for each family member.

Everything must be filled out accurately, as any mistake in your entry form can make you ineligible for the visa.

After you submit your entry, you will receive a confirmation number.

Selection of Winners:

The Department of State will randomly select individuals from among the qualified entries, the results will be available usually in May of the following year. You can use check if your entry won, by using the confirmation number on your entry form.

If you have been selected, you will need to fill out the forms and complete the process in order to receive a green card.

Winning the Lottery:

Winning does not guarantee that you will get a green card, but it enables you to apply for a green card for yourself, your spouse, and children under 21 without a sponsor.

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האם דרישות הסף מתקיימות ?

1. הילד נולד מחוץ לארה”ב הורה שהוא אזרח ארה”ב;
2. הילד מתחת לגיל 18
3. ההורה (אזרח ארה”ב) עונה על דרישות הנוכחות פיזית.

השלמת מילוי טפסי

עו”ד שלך יכין ויגיש את טפסי הבקשה לדיווח על לידה בחו”ל והבקשה לדרכון אמריקאי

איסוף המסמכים התומכים בבקשה

עו”ד יסייע לך לאסוף ולארגן את המסמכים שתצטרך להציג בפני הקונסול בשגרירות ארה”ב במדינתך

פגישה בקונסולית ארה”ב

עו”ד יתאם לך פגישה במועד הזמין המוקדם ביותר בשגרירות ארה”ב במדינתך

קבלת האישור על דיווח לידה בחו”ל הדרכון האמריקאי

האישור על דיווח הלידה בחו”ל אינו נחשב מסמך נסיעת, לכן יש צורך בדרכון אמריקאי. שתי הבקשות ידונו בפגישה שנקבעה בשגרירות.

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