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The traveler arrived in the US Aug 2012, admitted as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) and then the LPR departed the US with a 10 year Green Card (GC) Oct 2012 without a re-entry permit. Upon re-entry attempt Sept 2015 at POE the 1st Immigration Officer pulled the GC and sent the traveler for secondary Inspection. This process ultimately took over 3 hours. This was due mostly to a lot of people already in the room. A long and difficult Interview ended with the issuance of an I-193 'Application for Waiver of Passport AND/OR Visa' issued under Section 211(b), a Fee of $585 and the return of the Green Card. The Passport now has an I-193 stamp with 3 years notation. This POE secondary Interview required 'proving' that the long time away outside the US was unavoidable, unplanned and outside the traveler's control. It also required the $585 fee. Cheaper than multiple re-entry permits and multiple round trip flights. However, this re-entry method includes two big risks- 1. Immigration denies re-entry. 2. Immigration initiates removal proceedings. And, it was easier than a full SB-1 application process. From the SB-1 page- "If you are an LPR unable to return to the United States within the travel validity period of the green card (1 year) or the validity of the Re-entry Permit (2 years), you may be eligible and can apply at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for a Returning Resident (SB-1) immigrant visa. An SB-1 applicant is required to establish eligibility for an immigrant visa and have a medical examination. Therefore, this involves paying both visa processing fees and medical fees."