回美证 (Re-Entry Permit) 与 Advance Parole 专题

Re-Entry Permit & Advance Parole Special Topic

We recommend you do not stay outside the U.S. for more than one year, and ideally no more than six months. If you stay outside the U.S. for more than one year without previously obtaining a Re-Entry Permit, your green card may be deemed abandoned and revoked. If you plan to stay outside for over one year, you must apply for a Re-Entry Permit in advance while you are physically present in the U.S.

Key requirement: Your application must be submitted while you are physically present inside the United States. The process is as follows:
1. File Form I-131 and pay the filing fee while in the U.S.
2. Wait for your biometrics (fingerprint) appointment notice, typically received within a few weeks to one month after filing.
3. Complete your biometrics appointment inside the United States.
4. You may depart the U.S. after your biometrics appointment. Your approval document can be mailed to a U.S. address or your attorney's office, or you can arrange to pick it up at a U.S. consulate overseas.

A Re-Entry Permit is typically valid for two years from the date of approval. It can be renewed, but you must again return to the U.S. to submit your application and complete biometrics. If you stay overseas long-term and apply for multiple consecutive permits, the validity period may be reduced to one year.

Although both are applied for using Form I-131, they are for different groups of people:
Advance Parole (AP): For individuals with a pending green card application (I-485 pending), allowing them to travel internationally and re-enter the U.S. before their green card is approved. Also available for individuals with DACA and other special statuses.
Re-Entry Permit: For individuals who already hold a green card (lawful permanent residents), allowing them to re-enter the U.S. after a long-term (over one year) stay overseas.

You need to complete and file Form I-407. We recommend filing this form at a U.S. consulate overseas or via mail. After abandoning your green card, you lose your permanent resident status, and you will need to apply for a nonimmigrant visa (such as B1/B2) for future visits to the U.S. Please note that long-term permanent residents may be subject to Exit Tax when abandoning status, so we recommend you consult a tax professional.

This typically refers to the process of restoring permanent resident status via an SB-1 Returning Resident Visa after your green card has been invalidated due to long-term absence, or reapplying for a new green card through a family member or employer. SB-1 visas are extremely difficult to approve, as you must prove your prolonged absence was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond your control. A much more reliable approach is to maintain your green card status properly and apply for a Re-Entry Permit in advance if you need to travel overseas long-term.