A Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), also known as a “Green Card” holder, is a foreign national who has been granted the privilege of permanently living and working in the U.S. An LPR will maintain status provided he/she maintains a bona fide domicile in the United States and does not remain outside the country for more than one year.
The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires provides specific services to Lawful Permanent Residents.
BOARDING FOILS FOR LOST/STOLEN GREEN CARDS
To board a flight for the United States, every Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) must present at the time of checking in, the passenger’s valid “green card” or other documentation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demonstrating that the passenger is presently an LPR of the United States.
If your green card has been lost, stolen, destroyed, or mutilated, you can apply for a boarding foil in order to board a flight to the U.S. For further information about the application process, please click here (PDF 1263KB)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Can the I-131A fee paid to USCIS be refunded? An I-131A fee will only be refunded in the event of U.S. government error. USCIS will not process a refund if an applicant later determines that a LPR boarding foil was unnecessary. Please contact the relevant USCIS Field Office for more information.
- What evidence can LPRs present at an airport, rather than applying for a boarding foil? To enter the U.S., a LPR may present at least one of the following items in place of a boarding foil:
- An expired Permanent Resident Card with a 10-year expiration date, or
- A valid Permanent Resident Card (with a two-year validity), and a Form I-797, Notice of Action, indicating that status is extended, or
- Orders from the U.S. government (civilian or military) showing that time outside the U.S. was on official government business. These individuals should consult their air carrier prior to completion of an I-131A and payment of the fee.
- Where can I obtain my A number or find out more information? Please direct your inquiries to the nearest USCIS field office location.
RETURNING RESIDENTS (SB-1 VISAS)
Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) who have been outside the United States for more than one year and did not obtain a reentry permit from U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) are considered to have abandoned their residency. However, they can sometimes qualify to re-immigrate with returning resident status. To qualify as a returning resident, you must prove that:
You did not intend to give up your residency when you left the United States, and you could not return for reasons beyond your control and for which you were not responsible.
Please think carefully before applying for returning resident status as payment for this service cannot be refunded if you fail to meet the qualification. To apply please follow the Returning Resident instructions (PDF 94KB). If a person qualifies as a returning resident, that person may return to the U.S. under the same status as the person had when he/ she left the US.
If you do not qualify to apply as a returning resident, but you would like to become an LPR again, you can apply for another Immigrant visa provided that you qualify under any of the other Immigrant Visa types. Please click here for further information regarding the different Immigrant Visa Classifications.
However, if your intention is to travel to the US for tourism/ business, but not reside permanently, you may apply for a non-immigrant visa.
ABANDONMENT OF LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT (LPR) STATUS
You can relinquish your Lawful Permanent Resident Card by submitting it to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) using form I-407.
Please note that the consular section no longer accepts form I-407, and you must mail the form directly to the USCIS as per the form instructions.
Note: The abandonment of your residency status does not automatically guarantee you will receive a non-immigrant visa.