Geert81

Has anyone here actually LEFT the United States, and turned in their Green Card? If and when you do, can you use ESTA again to visit the US, or do you need to apply for a real visa.

The ESTA form asks
F) Have you ever been denied a U.S. visa or entry into the U.S. or had a U.S. visa canceled? *

If you hand your GC (which remains a visa in a way) in, is this then a canceled VISA...Maybe not

So has anyone here actually done this before?

Noorah101

I've seen posts on here where they have, yes.

You can apply for ESTA and travel on the VWP, if you qualify.

I don't know if any of those apply to your past immigration history. Turning in your green card does not apply to the 3 things above.

No, it's not. A green card (permanent resident card) is in no way a visa.

Rene

jeffreyhy

Use the Visa Waiver Program again, or need a visa. Definitely not. A green card is an ID card. Regards, JEff

Steve_

Several of my relatives have done this, np.

kins

I gave up my Green Card then travelled to the US on the visa waiver scheme - it was before Esta. No problems.

kimilseung

Green card no way equates to a visa, visa gets you in, green card is concerned with your status after admission. I also do not think that handing in a green card or renouncing residency equates to cancellation.

RICH

Is there some advantage in "giving up" the GC that I am missing?

Steve_

Gets the IRS off your back is the only one I can think of.

Being a permanent resident means exactly that, you must pay US taxes.

Apfelkuchen

I know someone who lived in the US for decades but left a few years after 9/11 and returned her Green Card as a political gesture in protest at what she saw as increasing infringement on civil liberties. She claims she is now banned from the US. At the time she told me that I didn't know anything about the immigration system and assumed she was telling the truth. Now I suspect she was telling porkies to make herself sound more hard core. (Though, in fairness, I don't know exactly how she went about giving the card back. Maybe she sent it along with a letter threatening to bring hell fire on the US and genuinely did receive a ban. .)

kins

It was a while ago but as I recall... Mine was a conditional green card. I didn't stay in the US long enough for the conditional status to be removed. So it became an invalid conditional green card. I formally gave it back so that I could visit the US as a visitor rather than having them ask why I still had an expired conditional green card when I arrived at immigration.

kins

I gave my green card back but have since applied for and received another one.

HPLow

My son gave up his GC voluntarily last year as he has been out of the US for more than a year rather than risk problems at immigration. he then visited us on an ESTA last month, absolutely no probs.

RICH

That's where I was going. If you are gone a year, the PR status will likely expire, regardless of the date on the card, so "handing it in" is just polite. Serves no purpose.

HPLow

Actually it all depends on the immigration Offcer, one of them told me i should not be out of the country for more than 6 mths. But it all comes down to the magic word -"intent" to stay in the country. This is another chapter altogether and I am sure has been raised in the past

ian-mstm

Funny that he should even mention that... since the GC is valid as a entry document for up to 1 year. That said... even if someone was outside the US for more than a year, US law states that if you have ever had a claim to PR status, you have the right to see a US immigration judge who will determine whether or not you have abandoned your status. No one other than an IJ has that authority... not USCIS and certainly not a CBP officer.


The issue of intent revolves around whether or not you intend to abandon the US as your permanent residence. Time outside the US, by itself, is insufficient for a finding of abandonment of status as a PR. There must also be the intent to abandon status.

Ian