Embassy of the United States Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Permanent Resident Information

A lawful permanent resident may apply for admission to the U.S. using his/her Permanent Resident Card, provided he/she has remained outside the United States less than one year and has maintained an unreliquished domicile in the United States.

What if I am overseas and not in possession of my Permanent Resident card?

Please contact the Honduras.USCIS@dhs.gov and inquiry about a "Transportation Letter."

What if I wish to remain outside the United States for longer than 12 months?

A permanent resident who has sufficient cause to remain outside the United States for more than one year may apply for a Reentry Permit.  The application for issuance of a Reentry Permit, Form I-131 (PDF 196KB) must be submitted prior to departure from the United States.

Please visit the USCIS website for filing instructions.

Reentry Permits are valid for two years from issuance and cannot be extended or revalidated.

Permanent Resident Cards cannot be extended or reissued outside the United States.  Failure to return to the United States within the validity of either or these residency documents may jeopardize permanent residence status.

What if I have been outside the United States for longer than 12 months?

People who have remained outside the United States for more than one year without a valid Reentry Permit or beyond the validity of a Reentry Permit, may be eligible to apply for a "Returning Resident Visa" with the Department of State Immigrant Visa Section.

For general information about returning resident visas, visit the Department of State website.

Expired Permanent Resident Cards (I-551)

Most Permanent Resident Cards, commonly known as Green Cards (I-551), currently in circulation, have an expiration date and are required to be renewed every ten years.  This enables the Department of Homeland Security to improve the quality of the card and make it less susceptible to fraud.

According the DHS's Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Permanent Residents who have an expired ten-year Card (I-551) and are presently outside the U.S. may still enter the U.S. without the issuance of a transportation letter.  Please be advised that lawful permanent residents with an expiring/expired Permanent Resident Cards do not lose their legal status in the United States their lawful permanent resident status does not expire or change.  However, they should renew their expiring Permanent Resident Cards in order to maintain acceptable evidence of their permanent resident status and avoid possible difficulties in obtaining employment, benefits and re-entry into the United States after traveling abroad.

Transportation Companies are authorized to permit boarding of any bona fide Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) in possession of an expired Permanent Resident Card with a ten-year expiration date, if the expiration date on the card is the only reason that the LPR would otherwise not be boarded.  Airlines are to permit boarding without any penalty to the LPR.

Carries must be informed that this policy does not affect Conditional Permanent Resident cardholders whose cards have a two-year expiration date.  The Conditional Permanent Resident in possession of an expired Conditional Resident Card must continue to have evidence that the Conditional Resident Card expiration date has been extended.

An application for a replacement Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90) (PDF 100KB) must be filed with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services (USCIS) office in the U.S. as soon as possible.

Expired Conditional Resident Cards (I-551)

Please contact the USCIS Tegucigalpa Office if you are presently outside of the United States.

• Boarding Letter Checklist (in Spanish) (PDF 36KB)
• Baby Boarding Letter Checklist (in Spanish) (PDF 12KB)

What if I forgot to provide the I-94 before leaving the United States?

To return a Form I-94, please follow the attached instructions (in Spanish) (PDF 69KB).