How long can permanant US resident live out of the US?

Question

my mother inlaw was given her residency in Nov 2007 and she came to the US on Feb 2008 and left because her mother is sick and she has been in out of the country for three months and she would like to know if this will cause her any problems

Answer 1

A US permanent resident can remain outside of the US for up to 1 year without the need to file for a reentry permit. The reentry permit is good for up to 2 years. (please note: 2 years from date of issuance per: Adjudicator's Field Manual - Redacted Public Version \ Chapter 52 Reentry Permits. \ 52.4 Production and Delivery. NOT 2 years from date of departure.

Answer 2

no, that shouldnt cause any problems. I knowpeople that have been out of the US for as long as 2 yrs and they came back with no problems

Answer 3

If she did not apply for a re-entry permit prior to leaving (I-131), then she will be able to stay out of the US for 6 months before she needs to return without any problems.

Any longer than that, and she risks having her permanent resident status revoked, and requiring a returning resident visa to enter the country again.

More information can be found in the link in the source below.