Why do us immigrants risk staying without a green card ?

In this news, we will discuss several reasons why people can lose their green card. Everyone wants to get a green card in order to have the right to stay in the United States without having to prove anything else to anyone.

The most common situation in which a person loses their green card is when they leave the U.S. for an extended period for various reasons. These reasons can be perfectly legitimate, such as caring for sick relatives, receiving medical treatment for oneself or family members, or attending some type of training or education.

However, if a green card holder leaves the U.S. for more than 12 months, upon returning—even though the green card may indicate that it is still valid—the border officer may decide that you abandoned your green card, meaning you abandoned your intention to reside in the United States. In this case, they may initiate deportation procedures, which means you could be denied entry to the U.S. and sent back to the country from which you came.

To obtain the same green card again, you would have to go through all the immigration procedures from the beginning, the ones you had already completed to get your green card. To avoid these difficulties, it is advisable to plan ahead. If you are leaving the U.S. and know the period will be extended, it is recommended to obtain a Re-entry Permit while still in the United States.

If you find yourself outside the U.S. for an extended period without a Re-entry Permit, unfortunately, you cannot get one from abroad. It is important to consult a lawyer immediately to determine your chances of returning to the U.S. with your current green card.

Another very common reason for losing a green card is immigration fraud. Most often, this involves either marriage fraud or fraud related to obtaining political asylum in the U.S. Marriage fraud involves entering into a marriage not to form a real family but solely to obtain a green card. Many people consider this the easiest way to get a green card, which is incorrect because the process can be lengthy. The first green card you receive is conditional, meaning you reside with it for two years, and only after this period can you apply for a regular 10-year green card without restrictions.

Another situation involves knowingly providing false information when applying for political asylum. This is also not an easy way to obtain a green card because even after receiving the green card, there is a chance you could be scrutinized. For example, if someone claims political asylum as an LGBT representative and later marries a woman to have a “normal” family, their green card could be revoked after investigation. Similarly, if someone claims they face death threats in their home country due to political views but, after obtaining a green card or travel documents, travels freely to their home country multiple times a year or even once, this could trigger an investigation and result in the green card being revoked.