Immigration Corner | Is it possible to renew my green card while in Jamaica?

Dear Mrs Walker-Huntington,

Could you advise whether one is able to have a green card renewed while still in Jamaica? The person has been in Jamaica for 10 months as they are unwell. The card has now been expired for five months.

AV

Dear AV,

It is unfortunate that this green card holder has not been well enough to return to the United States. Likewise unfortunate that their green card expired with them being in Jamaica. You cannot normally renew your green card from Jamaica – you can apply, but if biometrics are required, you will need to be in the US to have that done. An airline will not allow a person with an expired green card to board an aircraft.

If a green card expires while the holder is outside the United States, they have options depending on how long they remained outside the US. If they are outside the US for less than a year, they would need to apply for a Boarding Foil, aka, a Transportation Letter – same applies if you lost your green card during your visit to Jamaica. If they are outside the US for a year or more, they would be required to apply to return as a Returning Resident, aka, an SB1 visa. In both instances they should also apply to renew their green card.

With both options, the green card holder must demonstrate to the US Embassy that they were residing in America, came to Jamaica and stayed beyond a visit and that they are now prepared to return to their residence in the US. It requires the applicant to provide documentary evidence to show their US residence as well the reason for their extended Jamaica stay.

In some rare instances, an applicant to renew a green card is excused from the biometrics requirement – US Citizenship & Immigration Service reuses biometrics on file and sends the renewed green card to the applicants US address.

The SB1/Returning Resident visa also applies to a person whose green card is unexpired, but they have been outside the US for more than a year. Under the current US administration, a person who has been outside the US for a year and their green card is still valid, and who returns to the US without an approved SB1 Visa, runs the risk of being detained at the border if they do not agree to surrender their green card. Immigration border policies are always changing, and many times without notice to the public.

Dahlia A. Walker-Huntington, Esq. is a Jamaican-American attorney who practises immigration law in the United States; and family, criminal and international law in Florida. She is a mediator and former special magistrate and hearing officer in Broward County, Florida. info@walkerhuntington.com