UKJeeper

Just got back to the UK after spending 3 hours on US soil. Had my
Biometrics appointment to renew my GC, so went over, but immigration
didn't like the fact i've been out for over a year (53 weeks! :blink.
So they wouldn't let me in on my GC.

They were nice as can be (mainly coz i didn't go off on them), and
didn't just take the card off me.

My options (as they explained them to me) were:

1) continue on in as a tourist, but they would have taken my green card.

2) Request a hearing in front of an immigration judge, MINIMUM 6 weeks
waiting in California before the hearing.

3) come home and request the "i've been out of the US too long but can i
keep my status?" forms from the US embassy (SB-1).

So i came home.

I talked to the Embassy, to start the SB-1 moving, but if that doesn't
work, i guess i'll have to give this card up and start over. Shouldn't
be too hard as Wife and kids are USC's. Just a PITA.

My fault. I didn't get a re-entry permit done last year as i thought i'd
be going over again sooner than i did.

So if you are leaving the US for more than 6 months or so, GET THE RE-
ENTRY PERMIT SORTED!!!

Elvira

> Just got back to the UK after spending 3 hours on US soil. Had my
> Biometrics appointment to renew my GC, so went over, but immigration
> didn't like the fact i've been out for over a year (53 weeks!
> :blink. So they wouldn't let me in on my GC.
>
> They were nice as can be (mainly coz i didn't go off on them), and
> didn't just take the card off me.
>
> My options (as they explained them to me) were:
>
> 1) continue on in as a tourist, but they would have taken my green
> card.
>
> 2) Request a hearing in front of an immigration judge, MINIMUM 6 weeks
> waiting in California before the hearing.
>
> 3) come home and request the "i've been out of the US too long but can
> i keep my status?" forms from the US embassy (SB-1).
>
> So i came home.
>
> I talked to the Embassy, to start the SB-1 moving, but if that doesn't
> work, i guess i'll have to give this card up and start over. Shouldn't
> be too hard as Wife and kids are USC's. Just a PITA.
>
> My fault. I didn't get a re-entry permit done last year as i thought
> i'd be going over again sooner than i did.
>
> So if you are leaving the US for more than 6 months or so, GET THE RE-
> ENTRY PERMIT SORTED!!!

As a matter of interest, did you show proof of your ongoing residency in
the US, ie mortgage, bank statements, utility bills, tax returns etc?

Rete

> As a matter of interest, did you show proof of your ongoing
> residency in the US, ie mortgage, bank statements, utility bills,
> tax returns etc?

Why would he do that? He would not be asked for that information at the
POE. He would be asked that information by the immigration judge at his
hearing if he had chosen that option.