Asylum

i got my residency last year i already went to outside of the us and came back w/o problem. but now i wanna go visit colombia but i’ve heard i may get deported due to the fact that i used to be a political asylee before. can i go and come back wit no problem?

If you have a green card, you’re free to travel wherever you like. You can’t travel back home on a refugee travel document or if you are still in asylum status, but once you have a green card, you can go back home or anywhere else without any special permission, and people in your situation do it all the time. It’s extremely unlikely that CBP or USCIS will have any questions about your travel, much less bother you. Among other things, they can’t just take your green card away even if they wanted to. You’d be entitled for a formal hearing before they could do that. Just remember you can’t stay out of the US for over 12 months without jeopardizing your green card status and you’ll be fine with US immigration. But don’t forget you aren’t an American citizen and the US can’t and won’t protect you if you get into trouble in Colombia.

5 Responses

1. sabina101 Says:
   November 29th, 2009 at 3:40 am

   Yes i’m pretty sure you can although you might want to still look it up in case.
   References :

2. ∞infiniti∞ Says:
   November 29th, 2009 at 3:46 am

   Did flee Colombia and seek asylum in the US? Can you go and come back without a problem. If you feared for your life in Colombia before, what has changed now? If the State Department finds that you applied for asylum under false pretenses, you will get deported.
   References :

3. Sweetharttt Says:
   November 29th, 2009 at 4:17 am

   If Colombia is the country you gained asylum from, going back would not be a wise decision in anyone’s eyes.
   References :

4. ibu guru Says:
   November 29th, 2009 at 4:59 am

   If you are a Columbian citizen and claimed you had to flee Columbia, you will have some serious interrogation upon your attempted return. If it is determined that your claim was false, your residency will be revoked, you will deported and permanently barred from re-entry.

   Committing perjury or falsifying any application form, document, testimony or interview questioning in connection with any visa or immigration application is a major felony, and you are subject to a lengthy jail term plus revocation of any visa, residency or even naturalization. You will be deported and permanently barred from re-entry. If you made any false statement whatsoever on any asylum claim, application, etc, return to Columbia and stay there or you will go to prison, then be deported and banned.
   References :

5. George L Says:
   November 29th, 2009 at 5:13 am

   If you have a green card, you’re free to travel wherever you like. You can’t travel back home on a refugee travel document or if you are still in asylum status, but once you have a green card, you can go back home or anywhere else without any special permission, and people in your situation do it all the time. It’s extremely unlikely that CBP or USCIS will have any questions about your travel, much less bother you. Among other things, they can’t just take your green card away even if they wanted to. You’d be entitled for a formal hearing before they could do that. Just remember you can’t stay out of the US for over 12 months without jeopardizing your green card status and you’ll be fine with US immigration. But don’t forget you aren’t an American citizen and the US can’t and won’t protect you if you get into trouble in Colombia.
   References :
   former political asylum officer

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