Permanent Residency Status Is Not Necessarily Permanent: Travelers Beware

The saying "nothing is permanent" not only applies to life in general, but also to things many people think are truly permanent – like lawful permanent residency status, commonly called "green card" status. Unfortunately, it often surprises some (and usually under less-than-ideal circumstances) that the permanent resident status that they thought they could never lose and worked so hard to obtain can, in fact, be lost either through their actions, or in many cases, inactions. It will likely come as a further surprise to many that a permanent resident has no unconditional right to reenter or remain in the United States. Permanent residents are instead subject to examination by the U.S. government upon their return to the United States from a trip abroad to determine if the resident meets all the requirements to for reentry into the United States. Therefore, permanent residents must always be mindful that their permanent resident status may not be so permanent. With