Staying outside the U.S. for more than 6 months (180+ days) as a Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) creates a rebuttable presumption that you have abandoned your residency. While not an automatic revocation, this triggers strict scrutiny, including potential secondary inspection at the port of entry, questioning by CBP, and risks interrupting the continuous residence required for citizenship.
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.
If you wish to stay longer than 6 months, you must apply for an extension at the nearest U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office once you are in the United States and before the expiry of your initial authorized stay.
Immigration is very strict in its interpretation and application of this provision – overstaying by even a day will void your existing visa. A foreign national who has overstayed a visa may not be readmitted unless they have obtained a new nonimmigrant visa in their country of nationality.
The New Mandatory 30-Day Registration Rule (Effective April 11, 2025) Under the new DHS rule, any Canadian citizen staying in the United States for 30 days or longer must register with U.S. immigration authorities—either through an I-94 Arrival/Departure Record or by filing Form G-325R within 30 days of arrival.
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.
In other words, staying more than 90 days on one stay, then leaving the country and returning, resets the “90-day clock.” To avoid breaking the 90-day rule, an applicant must wait 90 days since their most recent entry to the United States before marrying or seeking to adjust their status..
No, you generally cannot lose U.S. citizenship just by living in another country, as it's a permanent status; however, you can lose it through specific voluntary acts like formally renouncing it at a U.S. embassy or by performing certain actions with the intent to give up citizenship, such as serving in a foreign military against the U.S. or committing treason. Prolonged absence doesn't automatically revoke citizenship, but maintaining ties like filing taxes and visiting helps prove you still intend to remain a citizen.
Avoiding this risk is one of the primary motivators for people to apply for naturalized U.S. citizenship in the first place. A naturalized citizen can live for as long as they wish in another country, with almost no risk of losing their U.S. citizenship status.
The reality is that most people facing deportation are arrested for civil immigration violations: entering without inspection, overstaying a visa, or having a prior removal order. These are not criminal offenses but administrative violations of immigration law.
The U.S. Department of State announced Jan. 14 that it will indefinitely pause processing for employment-based green card visas, as well as other immigrant visas, from 75 countries whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the country.
If you are a U.S. citizen planning to travel outside the U.S., you may need a visa to enter a foreign country. Learn how to find your destination's visa requirements.
Holders of a Green Card must move to, and permanently live in, the United States. Otherwise the Green Card may be lost. Travel outside the United States for less than 6 consecutive months is generally unproblematic.
Criminal History or Alleged Moral Issues
USCIS frequently denies green card applications because of perceived moral issues. These include: Criminal convictions, such as violent crimes, drug offenses or fraud. Lying to immigration authorities or filing false information.
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.
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.
The new U.S. rule was announced in March and went into effect on April 11, 2025. As of this date Canadians who spend 30 days or more in the United States must register with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through an online Alien Registration Form (G-325R).
The Canadian Snowbird Visa Act will allow Canadian citizens aged 50 and older who either own or rent a residence in the United States to remain in the country for up to 240 days each year.
Canadian visitors are generally granted a stay in the U.S. for up to six months at the time of entry. Requests to extend or adjust a stay must be made prior to expiry to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service .