If you have a green card, you are a permanent resident of the United States. One of the benefits is that this can make it easier to leave and re-enter the country.
However, there is a risk of abandoning your permanent resident status. Generally speaking, this means leaving for an extended period of time so that the authorities believe you do not intend to live in the country. One deadline that they often point to is the one-year mark. If someone leaves the United States for more than 12 consecutive months, they could risk losing their green card—although this does not happen in all cases.
Protecting your status
That said, you certainly could have plans to leave the U.S. for more than a year while still intending to return and remain a permanent resident. For instance, perhaps one of your parents is ill, and you want to go live in your home country until they pass away. You believe this could take more than a year, but you plan to come back to the U.S. after everything has concluded at home.
In a scenario like this, it may be wise to get a reentry permit first. This can be done using Form I-131.
The reentry permit itself doesn’t guarantee that you can come back into the United States. If officials determine that you are inadmissible for another reason, they can still prevent you from entering. However, getting the reentry permit before you leave helps to show your intent. You are demonstrating to officials that you do not intend to leave on a permanent basis and that you want to continue maintaining your green card after you return to the U.S.
Traveling can be a bit complicated for immigrants, as this shows. Be sure you know exactly what legal rights and options you have.