As an immigration attorney, my goal is to help people get green cards and U.S. citizenship. One of the most important privileges that you gain with US citizenship is the right to file an immigration petition (Form I-130) for your mother and father. But before helping your parents get green cards, you need to think through this decision and weigh your immigration options carefully. How to lose your green card status Before you help your parents get green cards, keep in mind that when someone with a green card stops living in the United States, they lost their green card status. It's called abandonment of residency. Once you've been given lawful permanent residency, you can't definitively lose your status until an immigration judge conducts a formal hearing in Immigration Court and rules that you have abandoned your green card or residency status. To make this decision, the Immigration Judge will look at a variety of factors including whether you have worked in the U.S., filed income tax returns, and whether you have maintained an actual home in the U.S. READ MORE
