According to the law, the lawful permanent residents are expected to reside in the United States permanently. At times a person who happens to be a lawful permanent resident or a conditional permanent resident may have to travel extensively or stay abroad in another country for a long period of time which may range from a few months to a few years. For such residents, a Reentry Permit is issued. This document called Reentry Permit allows the holder to retain or keep the status of LPR (lawful permanent resident) intact while they are outside the United States.

The U.S. Reentry Permit is a passport-like document which has a temper proof page with the resident’s photo and another biographic page followed by a number of pages for stamping.

Pre-requisites for Obtaining a Reentry Permit

• A lawful permanent resident if plans to remain outside the U.S. for more than 1 year but less than 2 years, a re-entry permit is necessary to be obtained.
• A lawful permanent resident who is a frequent traveler to foreign countries spending a considerable amount of time abroad (each stay less than a year in duration).

A Reentry permit explains the fact that the LPR wishes to maintain his/her LPR status in the USA despite the numerous trips and stay on foreign land. It is important to note that the LPR’s who leave the country for a shorter duration (less than six months) are not required to obtain a Reentry Permit unless advised by border agent to do so.

Advantages of Holding a Reentry Permit

• This permit prevents the PR card issued to LPR from becoming invalid when the LPR is outside of U.S. for more than a year.
• This permit prevents the permanent resident status being considered as abandoned when LPR is outside the US for less than a year.

The Reentry Permit is often valid for a period of 2 years from the date on which it is issued. In most cases, this permit can be extended.

Source: www.uscis.gov