Lawful Permanent Residents who stay outside of the U.S. for 6 months or more at a time are risking losing their I-551 Green Card (Lawful Permanent Residence) to airport immigration officials when they try to re-enter America.  Lawful Permanent Residents who have been outside the U.S. more than one year cannot use their unexpired green card to re-enter unless they first go to the U.S. Consulate and get an SB-1 Returning Resident Visa.

The easiest way to calculate how many days you have been outside the USA is to enter your entry/exit dates on a date calculator such as www.timeanddate.com.

However, if a loved one is very ill and needs help, sometimes there is no way to avoid being outside the U.S. for an extended period of time.  One way to help prevent the loss of Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status due to an extended trip abroad is to apply for a special two year “Re-Entry Permit” before leaving the U.S.