Legal Question in Immigration Law in California

keeping my US permanent residency when traveling abroad

I am a US permanent resident and my wife is US citizen. If we travel outside the country for 10 yrs or more, apparently I could not retain my status as US permanent resident! Or being maried to a US citizen, I could not obtain a visitor's visa either! How can I thus return every few years to visit my family in-law? It seems to be a gray area !!! For years now, I have been now and then trying to get an answer to this question without any luck! Perhaps you could help me. Note: Since I have been out of the US a lot since I became a US resident, it looks as I cannot qualify to obtain my US citizenship either (what would solve the problem of prolonged absences!) Thanks.


Asked on 10/09/00, 5:08 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Larry L. Doan Law Office of Larry L. Doan

Re: keeping my US permanent residency when traveling abroad

There is nothing gray about this area of the law. If you want to maintain your permanent residence status, you need to be in the US for the specified period of time each year and visit your in-laws. That's what the law requires and there's no way any lawyer can do to help you "get around" this.

Liem Doan, Esq.

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Answered on 11/05/00, 7:08 pm


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