Permanent residents (Green Card holders) should generally not stay outside the U.S. for more than 6 months to 1 year to avoid risking their status. Absences of 6+ months may trigger extra questioning, while 1+ year often requires a Reentry Permit (Form I-131) obtained before leaving to prevent abandonment.
International Travel
U.S. immigration law assumes that a person admitted to the United States as an immigrant will live in the United States permanently. Remaining outside the United States for more than one year may result in a loss of Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status.
If you haven't been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years, you may lose your PR status. See Understand PR Status. You may also lose your PR status if you: become a Canadian citizen.
The ability to live in Australia indefinitely is a core benefit of the visa. However, your freedom to travel outside the country and return is subject to certain time limits. Typically, when you are granted a PR visa, it includes a travel facility that is valid for five years from the date of the visa grant.
The "6-month rule" for U.S. Green Card holders means that being outside the U.S. for more than six months (180 days) in a single trip creates a presumption that you've abandoned your residency, potentially jeopardizing your Green Card status, though it's not an automatic loss; absences over a year almost always require a special permit (Reentry Permit) to avoid abandonment, and shorter but prolonged trips (6-12 months) trigger increased scrutiny and questioning by CBP officers at entry, requiring you to prove your intent to maintain U.S. residency.
To satisfy the 183-day requirement, count: All of the days you were present in the current year, One-third of the days you were present in the first year before the current year, and. One-sixth of the days you were present in the second year before the current year.
It is recommended that you apply for a reentry permit if you plan to be out the country for 6 months to one year. For any trips longer than one year, a reentry permit is required. Failure to file for a re-entry permit carries significant risk that you will have your green card revoked when trying to return.
You will lose your permanent resident status if an immigration judge issues a final removal order against you. INA sections 212 and 237 describe the grounds on which you may be ordered removed from the United States.
Submitting a PR application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) doesn't automatically stop you from traveling. Many applicants leave Canada while their application is in process, especially for short visits home or brief travel.
What will happen if I am out of the United States for more than six months? Staying outside the United States for more than 6 months but less than one year will subject you to additional questioning when you return to the United States but you are not required to have a Reentry Permit.
Canada's 183-day rule is a key factor in determining tax residency: if you stay in Canada for 183 days or more in a calendar year, you're generally considered a resident for tax purposes for that entire year (a "deemed resident"), even if you don't have strong ties, subjecting your worldwide income to Canadian tax. However, this rule works alongside Canada's complex residency tests and tax treaties, meaning you might become a resident sooner with significant ties (like family or property) or avoid it if a treaty designates you a resident of another country.
Canada will know when and where someone enters the country, and when and where they leave the country by land and air. The Government of Canada will achieve this by working closely with its U.S. counterparts and exchanging biographic entry information on all travellers (including Canadian citizens) at the land border.
Permanent Residency Obligations To Keep PR Status
You must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days within a 5-year period. This means that you can spend a total of up to 3 years outside of Canada during a 5-year period.
Permanent residents are free to travel outside the United States, and temporary or brief travel usually does not affect your permanent resident status. If it is determined, however, that you did not intend to make the United States your permanent home, you will be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status.
The "90-day rule" for green cards is a guideline for U.S. immigration officials to detect potential fraud when non-immigrant visa holders (like tourists or students) engage in activities suggesting immigrant intent within 90 days of entering the U.S., such as marrying a U.S. citizen or filing for adjustment of status. While not a strict law, actions within this window trigger a presumption of misrepresentation, requiring applicants to prove their original non-immigrant intent was genuine and their change of circumstances was unforeseen and legitimate, making the process harder.
Understanding Your Travel Facility
When you're granted a permanent residency visa, it comes with a five-year travel facility. This travel facility allows you to leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you like during that five-year period.
To keep your permanent resident status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years. These 730 days don't need to be continuous. Some of your time abroad may count towards the 730 days. See can my time abroad count towards my permanent resident status?
Here is the full list of destinations that Canadian PR holders can access without needing a visa:
If you are a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), you may leave the U.S. multiple times and reenter, as long as you do not intend to stay outside the U.S. for 1 year or more. This 1-year rule creates a rebuttable presumption that you intended to abandon your residency.
Abandoning residency through prolonged travel, being convicted of serious crimes, committing fraud or misrepresentation, failing to meet financial obligations (tax filing or child support), and voluntarily relinquishing status by signing Form I-407 are the top 5 reasons to lose permanent resident status!
To remain eligible for your Canadian provincial/territorial government health insurance, you cannot travel outside your province/territory of residence for a total of more than 7 months (212 days) within a year, or 6 months (183 days) if you live in Quebec, PEI or Nunavut. This includes travel within Canada.
The statutory period preceding the filing of the application is calculated from the date of filing. Once 4 years and 1 day have elapsed from the date of the applicant's return to the United States, the period of absence from the United States that occurred within the past 5 years is now less than 1 year.
The "2-year rule for green cards" refers to Conditional Permanent Residency, given when a marriage is less than two years old at the time of approval, requiring the couple to jointly file Form I-751 within 90 days of the card's expiration to prove the marriage is still genuine and remove the conditions for a 10-year green card; failure to do so results in loss of status and potential deportation.
The 6-month rule for green card holders is a guideline: stays under 180 days are usually fine, but absences over 6 months (180 days) trigger scrutiny, creating a presumption of abandoned residency, especially for naturalization, though it can be overcome with evidence of strong U.S. ties; absences of a year or more generally require a special Re-entry Permit (Form I-131) or Returning Resident Visa (SB-1) to avoid losing your green card, as it's seen as abandoning your U.S. permanent home.