A Green Card Holder and Absent from the US for more than 180 days? Beware.

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One of the biggest misconceptions about immigration law is that a green card is the same as citizenship  –only without a passport or the ability to vote. But what many permanent residents do not realize is that they can be deported.  The reasons are many: not only for a conviction of a serious or drug-related crime, but also for abandoning their residency in the United States or becoming a “public charge”.  The question of deportability can come up when applying for naturalization, or after an absence of more than 180 days from the United States. Imagine a situation where a green card holder who uses public benefits in the US  leaves to visit his home country.  During his visit, his father gets sick and he needs to stay to help take care of his father.   After a 7 month absence from the US, he returns.  Upon his arrival at the…

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