After You Get Your Green Card

Who this is for: Permanent residents born in mainland China who already have a green card (10-year or 2-year conditional), especially those who often go back to China, care for parents, or work and live in both countries. This guide is about "maintaining status": how long you can be abroad, when to get a reentry permit, what to do if your card is lost or expiring, how to file taxes, what to do when you move, what counts as abandoning a green card, and how time toward citizenship is counted. For removing conditions see Removing conditions (I-751).

⚠️ Fees, form editions and rules here were checked against USCIS, IRS and other official pages on 2026-10-14. Entry screening became noticeably stricter in 2025–2026, so check the official links again before you travel.

1. Overview: a timeline after getting your green card

Flow: You're a permanent resident from the day you get the green card → update your address within 10 days of moving → from that year on, report worldwide income as a U.S. tax resident → traveling abroad: under 1 year, just bring your green card and passport (over 6 months may bring questions about your residence and affect continuous residence for naturalization); 1 year or more, apply for a reentry permit in the U.S. before leaving (you can leave after biometrics); if the reentry permit also expires, you can only apply for an SB-1 → renew a 10-year card with the I-90 within 6 months of expiration → apply for citizenship starting 90 days before your 5-year mark (3 years if married to a citizen)

Source: USCIS G-1055 fee schedule (2026-10-07 edition).

2. Long trips abroad and reentry permits (I-131)

1. The official rules: how long is "too long"?

• Green card holders can travel freely, and short trips generally don't affect status.
• But if you're found not to treat the U.S. as your permanent home, you're considered to have abandoned permanent residence. USCIS's reference line is more than a year abroad; even trips of less than a year can be found to be abandonment if they show you don't intend the U.S. to be your permanent home.
• Entry documents: a valid green card can be used to return only after absences of less than 1 year (8 CFR 211.1). After a year or more without a reentry permit, the green card alone is no longer a valid entry document.
• Absences over 180 days: by law, a green card holder continuously absent for more than 180 days can be treated as "seeking admission" on return and reviewed for admissibility again (INA 101(a)(13)(C); the Supreme Court's 2026 Blanche v. Lau opinion also lists this provision).
• Naturalization: absences of 6 months or more may break the "continuous residence" required for citizenship; 1 year or more usually does (see section 7).

2. What a reentry permit is and when to get one

A reentry permit is a travel document USCIS issues through Form I-131. If you plan to stay outside the U.S. for 1 year or more, apply before you leave.

• What it does: while valid, you can use it to seek reentry without getting a returning resident (SB-1) visa at a consulate, and USCIS won't find you abandoned solely because of the length of your absence.
• It's not insurance: it doesn't guarantee admission, and you still go through inspection; it also doesn't preserve continuous residence for naturalization (that's the N-470).
• Validity: generally 2 years; if you've spent more than 4 of the past 5 years since getting the green card outside the U.S., only 1 year (with exceptions such as government assignments). For conditional residents, at most until the conditional status expires and no more than 2 years. It can't be extended, and you can't get another while you hold a valid one (unless it's returned or lost).
• More than 2 years: if you've been abroad more than 2 years and the reentry permit has expired, your only option is to apply at a consulate for an SB-1 returning resident visa, showing the departure was temporary and the delay was beyond your control, and redoing the immigration medical exam. (State Department fees: DS-117 returning resident application $180, SB-1 visa application $205.)

3. How to apply

Timing: there's no official number of days. Public reports commonly describe getting the biometrics notice a few weeks after filing; you can leave after biometrics, and the permit is then sent to the consulate or forwarded by family. File at least 2–3 months ahead.

4. If you're asked to sign Form I-407 on return

• Form I-407 records voluntary abandonment of permanent resident status. USCIS says it must be voluntary; it can be submitted to USCIS or to a CBP officer at the port of entry.
• In 2025–2026 bar associations and several law firms warned that green card holders returning from long absences were more often taken to secondary inspection and asked to sign an I-407. Don't sign before thinking it through and talking to a lawyer. Only an immigration judge can finally decide in removal proceedings that you abandoned status; you can ask to see an immigration judge to explain.
• Bring evidence of your life in the U.S.: U.S. tax returns filed as a resident, property or a lease, proof of employment, bank accounts, family in the U.S., a reentry permit and so on.

5. New entry developments in 2025–2026

3. Replacing and renewing cards (I-90)

When you must renew or replace

10-year card holders file the I-90 when:

• The card has expired or will expire within 6 months;
• The card is lost, stolen or damaged;
• You got the card before 14 and are now 14 (unless the card expires before your 16th birthday);
• The card has incorrect information;
• You legally changed your name or other personal information;
• USCIS issued a card that you never received.

Conditional green card holders use the I-90 only for lost/stolen/damaged cards, incorrect information, name changes or a card never received; you can't use the I-90 to renew an expiring conditional card; file the I-751.

How to file and what it costs

• Current edition 01/20/25; file online or on paper (paper goes to a USCIS box in Phoenix; address on the I-90 page).
• Fee: $465 paper / $415 online. $0 when: renewing at 14 when the old card expires after 16; USCIS issued a card that was returned undeliverable; incorrect information due to a DHS error. Fee waivers are available if eligible.
• Biometrics may be required; USCIS sends a separate notice.

Proving status while you wait

• The I-90 receipt for a renewal, together with your expired green card, proves permanent resident status for 36 months from the card's expiration date, allowing work and travel.
• If your card is lost and you have none, you can request an ADIT (I-551) temporary stamp in your passport through the USCIS Contact Center.
• Abroad with a card expiring within 6 months (but returning within a year of leaving and before it expires): file the I-90 promptly after returning.
• Card lost abroad: you may need to apply locally for an I-131A (carrier documentation) so the airline will let you board for the U.S.

The law requires green card holders 18 and older to carry a valid green card (or equivalent proof). Applying for citizenship doesn't change this.

4. Taxes: you're a U.S. tax resident from the year you get the card

The green card test

• IRS: if you're a permanent resident at any time during the year, you're a U.S. federal tax resident for that year and generally must report worldwide income.
• Your residency starting date: if you don't meet the substantial presence test that year, it's the first day you're in the U.S. as a permanent resident; if you got the visa abroad, it's the day you first enter on the green card. So the year you get the card is often a "dual-status" year (nonresident for part of the year, resident for the rest), which is complicated; a cross-border tax accountant helps.
• Residency doesn't end automatically because you live abroad for a long time; it ends only when you voluntarily abandon status in writing with USCIS (Form I-407), USCIS administratively terminates it, or a federal court terminates it.

Two points directly tied to your green card

1. Don't file taxes as a "nonresident." USCIS lists "filing a U.S. tax return as a nonimmigrant" as one way of abandoning permanent residence. For example, working long term in China and choosing to file as a Chinese resident under the tax treaty may be treated as abandoning your green card; consult a lawyer and an accountant first.
2. Foreign account reporting (FBAR): if a U.S. tax resident's foreign financial accounts (including Chinese bank accounts) total more than $10,000 at any time during the year, you must file an FBAR, due April 15 with an automatic extension to October 15.

Tax consequences of giving up a green card

• When you file an I-407, USCIS reports your name and filing date to the IRS.
• If you held a green card in at least 8 of the last 15 tax years (a "long-term resident" under tax law), giving it up may trigger the expatriation tax rules and require Form 8854. See a tax professional before giving it up.

5. Change of address (AR-11)

• The law: non-citizens in the U.S. (including green card holders) must report a new address to USCIS within 10 days of moving.
• Use your USCIS online account to change your address: it satisfies the legal requirement, updates almost instantly, and syncs pending cases.
• You can also mail a paper AR-11 (edition 11/02/22; the 08/31/21 edition is also accepted), for free; but a paper AR-11 doesn't automatically update the address on pending cases.
• If you filed an I-751 abuse waiver or have a VAWA/T/U case, use the special confidential process to change your address.
• With pending cases (I-751, N-400, I-90 and so on), an outdated address can mean missing biometrics and interview notices, with serious consequences.

6. What counts as abandoning (or losing) a green card

USCIS lists the ways permanent resident status can be lost:

1. Naturalization: once you become a U.S. citizen you're naturally no longer a green card holder.
2. Abandonment, including but not limited to:
   • Moving to another country intending to live there permanently;
   • Filing a U.S. tax return as a "nonimmigrant";
   • Remaining outside the U.S. for a long time in a way that isn't a temporary trip, judged by the reason for the trip, how long you originally planned to be away, the other circumstances of the absence and what extended it.
   • Getting a reentry permit in advance, or an SB-1 abroad, can help show the absence was temporary.
3. Voluntarily filing an I-407 (free; mail to USCIS or give to CBP; parents or guardians sign for children under 14).
4. Removal: a final removal order from an immigration judge (crimes, fraud and so on under INA 212 and 237).
5. Rescission: within 5 years of getting a green card, if USCIS finds you weren't eligible and couldn't have gotten one another way, it can start rescission proceedings.
6. Conditional green cards: if you don't file the I-751 on time, conditional status ends automatically.

Common risky situations for Chinese green card holders:

• After getting the card, living in China long term to raise children or care for parents and coming back only once or twice a year to "touch base." Frequent touch-and-go entries can themselves make officers question your intent to reside.
• Working full time in China and paying Chinese social insurance and income tax, while not filing U.S. taxes or filing as a nonresident.
• Having no U.S. address of your own (using a relative's), no U.S. bank account and no driver's license.

7. How time toward citizenship is counted

Details are in N-400 step by step; this covers only what matters for planning travel after getting your green card.

1. Basic requirements

You also must have lived in your state or USCIS district for 3 months before filing. Time in conditional status counts.

2. Filing 90 days early

You can file within 90 days before meeting the time requirement. The official method: count back 90 calendar days from the day before you first meet the requirement. The official example: if you reach 5 years on June 10, count back from June 9 to get the earliest filing date of March 12 that year. Note that filing early doesn't mean you're eligible early; you must have met the requirement by the interview.

3. How trips abroad affect it

• A single absence of 6 months to less than 1 year: presumed to break continuous residence, but you can rebut it with evidence (for example, you kept your U.S. job, family stayed in the U.S., you kept your home, you filed U.S. taxes as usual).
• A single absence of 1 year or more: usually breaks continuous residence (a reentry permit doesn't prevent this).
• N-470 (preserving residence for naturalization): only for certain work abroad: for the U.S. government or its contractors, for a USCIS-recognized American research institution, for an American company engaged in U.S. foreign trade (or a subsidiary more than 50% owned by it), for an international organization the U.S. participates in, religious duties and so on. It generally requires at least 1 year of continuous physical presence in the U.S. as a green card holder first, and filing before you've been abroad for 1 year; fee $420. Visiting family, caring for parents or working for a Chinese company don't qualify.

4. An example (illustrative only)

Xiao Wang got a 10-year green card on 2024-03-01 (general 5-year route).

• He reaches 5 years on 2029-03-01; counting back 90 days from 2029-02-28 using the official example's method gives an earliest filing date of about 2028-12-01 (follow USCIS's official calculation).
• If he spends 8 months in China in 2026, he needs evidence that continuous residence wasn't broken; if 13 months, it's usually broken and he has to start counting again after returning (see the N-400 guide for how long to wait).

8. What Chinese green card holders should know

• Passport: green card holders are still Chinese citizens and use their Chinese passport to enter and leave China. Renew it at a Chinese embassy or consulate in the U.S. when it expires; entering the U.S. requires a valid passport + green card.
• Hukou, social insurance, health insurance: whether a U.S. green card affects your hukou (household registration), social insurance and so on in China varies by locality; follow your local public security and social insurance authorities. We don't make a judgment here.
• You lose Chinese nationality only by naturalizing: China doesn't recognize dual nationality, and acquiring a foreign nationality means automatically losing Chinese nationality (see After the oath). Holding a green card doesn't affect Chinese nationality.
• Parents and spouses: green card holders can petition for spouses and unmarried children (F2A, F2B waits) but not for parents until they naturalize (see Bringing your parents).
• No voting: green card holders who register or vote in federal elections, or falsely claim to be U.S. citizens, can face removal and be barred from naturalizing. When the DMV asks whether you want to register to vote while getting a driver's license, choose "no."
• Men ages 18–25: the official guidance says almost all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants ages 18–25 must register with the Selective Service, including green card holders. If you were in that age range when you got your green card, remember to register.

9. What green card holders report (since 2025)

Summaries of individual experiences from public forums and Chinese-language communities, not guarantees.

• Reentry permit timing: common practice is to file 2–3 months before leaving, go back to China after biometrics, and have the permit forwarded by family or picked up at the consulate. The most common mistake is "filing and leaving right away," then having to fly back specially when the biometrics notice arrives.
• More questioning at entry: since 2025, several Chinese-language communities and law firms report that green card holders with long absences (especially older people who often go back to China) are more often taken to secondary inspection and asked "do you still live in the U.S.?"; one person whose reentry permit had expired after nearly two years in China was asked to sign an I-407 at entry. Most advise answering truthfully, bringing proof of life in the U.S., and not signing the abandonment form on the spot.
• Face scans at entry: since 2026 many report being through in seconds with "face scans" at major airports; others were still questioned. Don't relax your preparation because others had it easy.
• Taxes get overlooked: some who lived in China long term without filing U.S. taxes, or who filed as nonresidents, were questioned at the naturalization interview and even found to have abandoned their intent to reside.
• The I-90 receipt as a lifeline: people whose cards were about to expire and who needed to travel filed the I-90 and traveled with the receipt and the old card; travel in 2025–2026 mostly went smoothly (the receipt extends status proof for 36 months).

10. FAQ

1. I'm going back to China for 5 months. Do I need a reentry permit? Legally no; bring your valid green card and passport. But keep evidence of living, working and filing taxes in the U.S., since you may be asked at entry.

2. Can I apply for a reentry permit from China? No. You must be in the U.S. when filing and at biometrics. You can leave after biometrics.

3. My reentry permit is used up. Can I get another? You can reapply, but you must come back to the U.S. to file and give biometrics, and you can't apply while holding a valid one. If you've spent more than 4 of the past 5 years since getting your green card abroad, a new permit is only 1 year. Repeated consecutive use makes officers doubt more whether you still treat the U.S. as home.

4. My green card is about to expire. Can I still travel? File the I-90 first. The renewal receipt + old card prove status for 36 months. If you're abroad and the card expires within 6 months, file promptly after returning.

5. My green card expired. Did I lose my status? An expired 10-year card doesn't mean losing permanent resident status; only the document has expired, but it affects proof of work authorization and travel. File the I-90 promptly. (Conditional cards are different: without the I-751, status ends.)

6. I forgot to report my new address within 10 days. What now? Update it in your online account right away, especially if you have pending cases, to avoid missing notices.

7. I work in China. Do I still have to file U.S. taxes? Yes. Green card holders are U.S. tax residents and generally must report worldwide income, possibly with the foreign earned income exclusion or foreign tax credits; see an accountant. Filing as a "nonresident" may be treated as abandoning your green card.

8. When does it make sense to give up a green card voluntarily? If you're sure you won't return to the U.S. long term and don't want to carry U.S. tax residency obligations, you can file an I-407. See a tax professional first about the expatriation tax.

9. I was abroad more than a year. Does naturalization time start over? A single absence of 1 year or more usually breaks continuous residence, and a reentry permit doesn't preserve naturalization residence; only qualifying work abroad can use the N-470.

10. When does naturalization time start? From the "Resident Since" date on your green card (the day you became a permanent resident); conditional status time counts.

11. Official links

• International travel as a permanent resident (1 year, 2 years, SB-1, N-470): https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-we-grant-your-green-card/international-travel-as-a-permanent-resident
• Maintaining permanent residence (abandonment, rescission): https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-we-grant-your-green-card/maintaining-permanent-residence
• I-131 (reentry permits can't be filed online; new mailing address): https://www.uscis.gov/i-131
• I-131 instructions (reentry permit validity, filing and biometrics in the U.S.): https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-131instr.pdf
• Travel documents: https://www.uscis.gov/travel-documents
• I-90: https://www.uscis.gov/i-90
• Replacing your green card (when to renew, 36-month receipt, ADIT): https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-we-grant-your-green-card/replace-your-green-card
• AR-11 and address changes: https://www.uscis.gov/ar-11 ; https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange
• I-407: https://www.uscis.gov/i-407
• N-470: https://www.uscis.gov/n-470
• Continuous residence and physical presence for naturalization: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/citizenship-and-naturalization/continuous-residence-and-physical-presence-requirements-for-naturalization
• Policy Manual: filing 90 days early: https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-d-chapter-6
• Fee schedule G-1055: https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055
• Alien registration and carrying documents: https://www.uscis.gov/alienregistration
• IRS green card test: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/alien-residency-green-card-test
• IRS residency starting and ending dates: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/residency-starting-and-ending-dates
• IRS FBAR: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/report-of-foreign-bank-and-financial-accounts-fbar
• IRS expatriation tax: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/expatriation-tax
• 8 CFR 211.1 (documents for returning residents): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-211/section-211.1
• CBP biometric entry-exit final rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/27/2025-19655/collection-of-biometric-data-from-aliens-upon-entry-to-and-departure-from-the-united-states
• Supreme Court, Blanche v. Lau (2026-06-23): https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-429_h3ci.pdf
• Selective Service registration: https://www.sss.gov/register/who-needs-to-register/
• State Department visa fees (SB-1, DS-117): https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html

Related guides: Removing conditions (I-751) · N-400 step by step · Entering the U.S. and the I-94 · USCIS fees · After the oath

Disclaimer: This guide is general information only and not legal or tax advice. Immigration and tax rules change often; follow the latest from USCIS, the IRS, the State Department and other official sites. For long absences, criminal records, giving up a green card or cross-border taxes, talk to a licensed immigration attorney and a tax professional. The "what green card holders report" section reflects individual experiences on public forums and is not a guarantee.