The American green card has not been to the United States for three years and has not been to Canada.

During the epidemic, many green card holders outside the United States could not return to the United States as planned. Now countries all over the world have liberalized, and on June 8th this year, 65438+ China finally completely cancelled a number of epidemic prevention and control measures taken since 2020. Chinese at home and abroad are finally free to travel, and some green card holders are also preparing to return to the United States, but they are worried that they will encounter difficulties in entering the country.

Because according to the relevant laws and regulations, if the green card holder stays abroad for more than 180 days and has no re-entry permit from the United States, he will be asked a series of questions by customs officers when entering the country. In addition, if the green card holder has been outside the United States for more than 1 year, and has no re-entry permit or the re-entry permit has expired, he needs to apply for a new immigrant visa (SB- 1 visa) to restore his green card status.

Many applicants have questions. I have overstayed, and my green card has been lost or expired. Can I go back to the United States without an SB- 1 visa?

The answer is: yes.

The expiration or loss of the green card does not affect the identity, but if you want to enter the United States, the applicant must provide evidence to prove that he has the identity to enter the United States. Less than a year after leaving the United States, expired green cards can still enter the US Customs. But the problem is, if you don't have a reasonable explanation and show the relevant documents I- 13 1A (boarding paper), the airline staff will not let you board the plane.

If you apply for a travel document I- 13 1A (boarding paper), the validity period is generally 30 days, and the applicant needs to return to the United States within the validity period. However, obtaining travel documents (boarding documents) does not guarantee smooth entry into the United States, and CBP staff of the US Customs and Border Protection will still conduct necessary inspections when entering the United States. /zd/ym