Traveling back to china

[Hapa77]

my wife went back to china to visit her grandmother passed away and wont be back for 4months do she need to get a visa to reenter the U.S or can she use her green card?when she first came here the visa they issued was only for 5 months. thanks

[dnoblett]

All that is needed to return to the USA is green-card and Chinese passport.

 

If name on green card differs from passport having a copy of document showing how name changed is sometimes helpful when exiting China, namely a copy of marriage certificate.

 

If anticipated stay outside the USA is longer than 6 months it is usually advisable to apply for and have a travel document (by filing an I-131) before travel.

[Hapa77]

All that is needed to return to the USA is green-card and Chinese passport.

 

If name on green card differs from passport having a copy of document showing how name changed is sometimes helpful when exiting China, namely a copy of marriage certificate.

 

If anticipated stay outside the USA is longer than 6 months it is usually advisable to apply for and have a travel document (by filing an I-131) before travel.

 

okay, thanks, also i think they changed it to a year now instead of 6 months. i called and asked them they said she could stay up to a year. anything after she abandon her greencard.

[dnoblett]

Yes the norm is 1 year, however there has been reports of getting hassled by customs if having been out of country for more than 6 months, normally they give explanation on what residency means, and that a green-card is not a permanent "travel visa", this is why it is advisable to have a travel doc if anticipated length of time out of country exceeds 6 months.

 

One other note an absence of 6 months or more will affect when can apply for citizenship, if that is in the plans.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident

[Hapa77]

ok understand now. thanks