ABANDONMENT OF LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS
Form I-407 records voluntary abandonment of lawful permanent resident status. A green card holder questioned about abandonment at a port of entry should understand the difference between surrendering the physical card and voluntarily relinquishing permanent-resident status.
USCIS Form I-407 is titled Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status. It is used to document that a lawful permanent resident is voluntarily relinquishing permanent-resident status.
Current CBP guidance states that an LPR who wishes to voluntarily give up permanent residence while entering the United States may complete Form I-407 and turn in the Permanent Resident Card.
Form I-407 is not simply a receipt for taking the physical green card. Signing it is intended to record abandonment of lawful permanent resident status.
The Permanent Resident Card is evidence of status. The card’s expiration date and the existence of lawful permanent resident status are related but not identical concepts.
Likewise, an extended absence can create serious questions without automatically proving that the person intentionally abandoned permanent residence.
A signed Form I-407 can become important evidence that the person knowingly and voluntarily relinquished permanent resident status.
USCIS decisions have treated a voluntarily executed Form I-407 as evidence of abandonment. The circumstances surrounding the execution can therefore matter greatly if the person later claims the form did not reflect a genuine voluntary decision.
Once permanent-resident status has been voluntarily relinquished, the person no longer travels as an LPR based on that abandoned status.
CBP currently states that a person voluntarily giving up LPR status while entering may, in an appropriate case, use Form I-193 in connection with temporary admission without a valid nonimmigrant visa. That procedure is case specific and should not be assumed to apply in every situation.
Voluntary abandonment does not necessarily prohibit a person from qualifying for lawful permanent residence again in the future.
The person would still need an independent legal basis for the future immigration benefit and must remain otherwise admissible.
No. Form I-407 documents voluntary abandonment of lawful permanent resident status. A removal order is a different legal action.
Potentially, if a new or continuing immigration basis exists and the person is otherwise eligible.
The complete circumstances and records matter. Form I-407 is specifically designed to record voluntary abandonment.
Yes. Any document relating to abandonment of permanent residence should be preserved as part of the immigration record.
These government materials provide the principal legal and procedural framework discussed on this page.
A review can help determine whether the record reflects voluntary abandonment and what options may remain for preserving or later restoring immigration status.