Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status

When a non U.S. citizen obtains a greencard (becomes a lawful permanent resident (LPR)), he or she gains many rights not available to other non U.S. citizens. However, an LPR can “abandon” that status and not even know it. If an LPR remains outside of the United States for more than a year, this will be considered an abandonment of the LPR status. 8 C.F.R. 211.1(a)(2). Also, the LPR status may be abandoned in certain situations if the LPR leaves the United States for less than a year. If you are an LPR and plan on leaving the United States, you should consult an experienced immigration attorney to protect your LPR status.