Thou shall file form I-131!

The form with many faces!

When somebody like me, who is living in a country of which he is not a citizen, wants to travel for such a long period of time, he must take special precautions with regard to safeguarding his immigration status in the country of residence...

A green card gives its happy holder the right to live and work in the United States, but it also stipulates that the residence is "permanent", which actually means that in order to enjoy its benefits, the resident must actually live in the United States. So pretty much, if you don't use it you lose it... This is a fact lost on some people - and I am personally acquainted to a few of those - who have acquired a green card through one of the legal avenues but prefer to live abroad, and come each year for a short vacation thinking they have fulfilled their residence duty. What they don't know, is that their green card is already lost, just nobody has figured it out yet. If you ask me, I think the green cards of those people (who will remain nameless) would be better off in the pockets of some of those poor devils who cross the southern border illegally in hope for a better future. At least they want to live and work here...

Now, to come back to more concrete matters, in order to keep this precious right of permanent residence, I had to apply for a reentry permit - a document that will give me the right to stay abroad for more than one year and not lose my green card. I only have to apply for it before I leave, I don't have to wait for a decision, but they are usually granted. It will be sent to my mother-in-law's address and she will be sending it to my mother's address in Romania where we will pick it up - assuming it will be approved by then - you never know, when it comes to government efficiency...

Yeah, and it comes at a price as well - $170, and a lot of obsessing over having filled the right boxes on the form...