Re Entry permit based on medical condition

[raasaa]

Hi I am a green card holder and I travel to USA every year once in order to keep my greencard status. I wonder if there is any rule or legistlation under which I can stay in my country for more than a year as I want to get operated for spinal surgery. I have a really bad spine and can not travel every year back and forth to USA.

Thanks for any suggestion.

[cafeconleche]

You can apply for a re-entry permit, but you MUST be in the country when you send the application and CIS received it, and for the biometrics appointment a few weeks after that. You can leave in between the two, and after the biometrics appointment. However, given the amount of time you've spent abroad, they may or may not reject your application, or they may only issue the permit for 1 year.

Your history of NOT living in the US might also catch up to you any time, and you could be asked to hand in your green card, or see an immigration judge on one of your trips here. Why aren't you living in the US? For how much longer do you intend just to keep your green card for no reason?