How can you lose your green card? It happens often to US residents who recently gained permanent resident status. Typically, you lose your green card if you break criminal or immigration laws, and you can also lose your green card if you abandon the United States as a resident.

How can you avoid that? It’s pretty simple: don’t break laws, and maintain residence in the US throughout. However, there is some fine print you should be aware of, and how to keep your green card in the event you get a job in Canada or Mexico, or if you unknowingly break an immigration law.

Breaking US Laws
This is the most common way immigrants lose their green cards. The problem is it doesn’t work like you might think. It’s not for some major federal crime, more often than not, but actually a variety of crimes involving domestic disputes or immigration laws. So it doesn’t have to be a major crime, such as helping someone enter the US illegally or possessing drugs.  Some people even lose their green cards and are deported for not being truthful and using marriage as a way into the country.

There are no definitive laws on what makes you lose your green card and permanent resident status. The best thing you can do is be clear with what the  laws of the US are. If you make a mistake, not only hire a criminal lawyer, but also consult with an immigration lawyer. An immigration lawyer will know the fine print you don’t. Just hiring a criminal lawyer is a mistake; they often don’t completely understand all the laws involved in immigration. Hire someone you can depend on to fight for your right to live in the US.

If You Don’t Live in the US
The US is not a place to visit when you want to stay here for work or family and go home. If you want to maintain a green card, you must maintain US residency or you will lose it. The laws are even more complex in how they are handled than with breaking laws. A professional immigration lawyer to consult with is a must in this situation.

Say you come to the US via marriage and get a green card. You maintain residency here for 1 year, but go back to your home of Mexico and live there for one year. You are in fact in danger of losing your green card in this situation, and it may be hard to reenter the US.

If You Work Outside the US
It should be noted that you  can maintain your green card and US permanent resident status if you work outside the country. If you work a job in Canada and live on the border, you can technically maintain your green card if you consult with the USCIS.

Final Tips
To maintain your green card, it’s wise to have a clear understanding of what you can and can’t do. An immigration attorney can help you before you get in trouble, or if you have questions about what you’re allowed to do to maintain residence in the US.  Also, if you intend to live outside the US for some time,  say 1 year, it’s smart to get a reentry permit from the USCIS so you don’t have any trouble getting back in.