Green card re-entry date calculator
Enter the date you plan to leave the United States. See the date six months later, which is the point where a trip is longer than six months.
Estimate only. This is general information, not legal advice, and it can’t guarantee any outcome. Results are only as accurate as what you enter.
Why six months matters
A permanent resident can travel abroad and return, but long trips can cause problems. A trip of more than six months can lead officers to ask whether you kept your permanent residence. It can also affect the continuous residence requirement if you later apply for citizenship. After a year abroad, a green card by itself generally is not enough to come back; a re-entry permit, applied for before you leave, is designed for longer trips.
Things to know
- Staying under six months does not guarantee entry or protect your status. Officers look at whether you kept your permanent residence: your home, job, taxes, family and plans in the U.S.
- Flights get delayed or canceled. Plan to arrive well before the six-month date.
- If you may be away longer than a year, ask a licensed immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative about a re-entry permit (Form I-131) before you leave.
- Moving abroad, even for a shorter time, can raise questions about abandoning your residence.
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One Path Finder can help you gather and organize documents where permitted by law. We are not a law firm and can’t tell you what applies to your case. Contact us to start a conversation. For legal advice, ask us for a referral to our partner law firm.