Returning Resident Status

Consideration for returning resident status will only be given to Lawful Permanent Residents who left the U.S. with the intention of returning; have not abandoned this intention; and are returning to the U.S. from a temporary visit abroad. If the stay was protracted, the LPR will be required to show that this was caused by reasons beyond his or her control for which he or she was not responsible.

Please note that applicants whose conditional resident status has not been removed cannot apply for returning resident status.

If you believe that you may be eligible for returning resident status you are required to:

• complete the Form DS-117;



• pay a nonrefundable application fee of $400.00. Payment of the fee may be made by credit card - Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, Discover or American Express ; U.S. dollar international money order, cashier's check, certified check, international bank draft, U.S. postal money order, or credit union money order made payable to "U.S. Embassy, London". We do not accept Debit cards or any other credit cards, or cash;



• furnish evidence to show that you:
• had the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of your departure from the U.S.;



• you left the U.S. with the intention of returning, have not abandoned this intention, and are returning to the U.S. from a temporary visit abroad; and



• if your stay abroad was protracted, that this was caused by reasons beyond your control for which you are not responsible.

Examples of such evidence include, but are not limited to, documentation regarding your status in the U.S. and dates of travel, proof that you have continued to file U.S. tax returns and maintained economic or social ties to the U.S., and evidence that the protracted stay was due to circumstances beyond your control. Do not send original supporting documents or passports.

In defining the term “temporary” some of the elements that are examined are:

1. Reason for absence: traveler should have a definite reason for traveling abroad temporarily;
2. Termination date: The visa abroad should be expected to terminate within a relatively short period, fixed by some early event; and
3. Place of home or employment: The applicant must expect to return to the United States as an actual home or place of employment. He or she must possess the requisite intent to do so at the time of their departure, and maintain it during the course of their sojourn.

The original form DS-117, fee payment, evidence of LPR status and reason for remaining outside the U.S. and a stamped, self-addressed envelop should be mailed to:

Immigrant Visa Branch
5 Upper Grosvenor Street
London W1A 2JB.

Review of the application by a Consular Officer will take approximately six weeks. We will notify you by mail whether or not your application has been successful and advise you concerning the next steps you will be required to take. Processing time for interview and issuance of a returning resident visa is expected to take approximately three months.

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