You should be proud once you acquire your green card in Kentucky. It is a big deal and classifies you as a lawful permanent resident with many protected rights.
No matter how you acquired it though, there are a couple ways that put your permanent resident status at risk. As the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services details, you lose your permanent resident status if an immigration judge issues a final removal order against you. Knowing what to look out for or what to report may help you navigate a potential miscommunication.
Removal due to the law
There are many statutes detailing actions that necessitate removal from the United States. Things like marriage fraud or aiding and abetting an illegal alien may put your green card at risk. If the USCIS finds that you were not eligible at the time they approved your application, they may put you into rescission proceedings.
Removal due to abandonment
Immigration courts may interpret your travel as intentional abandonment. Moves to another country with the intention to live there may seem like an obvious reason to consider that, but even other trips outside the United States that go too long might fall under that consideration. Paperwork slips like declaring yourself a “nonimmigrant” on your tax returns may appear as abandonment.
Solutions and preparation
You should enjoy this achievement. Getting a green card is a big step towards naturalization, which serves as a more positive way to lose your permanent resident status. But when things get confusing or miscommunicated, all that hard work may vanish. Reporting any and all trips outside the US and referring to immigration resources regarding the law may help you keep everything straight for your future as a permanent resident here.
