Overview
- USCIS says a valid, unexpired green card is the required document to reenter the United States, while airlines may separately require a passport.
- CBP officers can review additional identification at ports of entry and assess whether the traveler remains eligible to return as a permanent resident.
- Absences under six months typically pose low risk, trips of six to twelve months face heightened scrutiny of U.S. ties, and planned absences over one year require a Reentry Permit (Form I-131).
- Stays exceeding two years generally mean a prior reentry permit has expired, prompting a Returning Resident (SB-1) visa application through a U.S. embassy or consulate.
- Officials and attorneys caution that the holiday travel wave brings more inspections, potential interviews and delays, possible findings of abandoned residency, and limited exceptions for certain military and U.S. government family cases.