Other Green Card Issue Possible to keep green card while living abroad?

[philaminsaipan]

My wife, a Philippine citizen, is in the process of obtaining an IR visa through me (a dual citizen of the US and Philippines). My wife's business and our home, along with our dual US/Philippine citizen daughter, remain in the Philippines and we aren't sure about permenantly settling in the US (especially given the dire economic situation here now). I am living and working in the US territory of the Northern Marianas Islands (near Guam) and we can easily afford and arrange for my wife to fly back and forth between Manila and Guam every few months, staying in Guam for a few days at a time, but she will likely spend most of her time living and working in the Philippines.

Once she gets her green card, will she be able to keep it if she spends most of her time abroad while making frequent visits to the US? If not, is it possible to convert her green card to a multiple entry visa?

Thanks for your reply.

 

[fredrikklaw]

As a green card holder, or a Lawful Permanent Resident if you will, your wife can stay out the Country for up to 6 months at a time without any problems, with a stay of over six month necessitating contact with an American Consulate. But she will forfeit her green card for stays of over one year if re-entry permit is not obtained in advance from the USCIS here in the U.S.

But you have to keep one very important point in mind, and that is in order to be eligible for U.S. Citizenship, an L.P.R. will have to show 5 years of CONTINUOUS stay in the United States from the date of issuance of green card, and long, frequent excursions abroad tend to break the continuity requirement regardless of whether re-entry permits were obtained or not.

So, take that into consideration, unless becoming a Naturalized Citizen is not a concern for you. And no; once granted, an L.P.R. status cannot be converted to any other form of visa, multiple entry included.

fredrikklaw

 

[army judge]

Hi,
Well,If she gets green card,then she could spend her time as long as she wants in abroad and making frequent visits to the U.S.For more info,I would like to suggest you that,take an advice from visa experts.

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Would you be the expert the OP requires?

If you are referring to yourself, you're dead wrong!!!!

Let the OP follow your incorrect advice, and you'll have heror him losing their Green Card!!!!