Visa SB1

A Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) who wishes to remain abroad for more than one year must apply for a Re-entry Permit or “Re-entry Permit”. To know the travel conditions of a Legal Resident abroad and the limitations to stay outside the United States, click here.

Important to take into account:

The application for a Re-entry Permit must be made while in the United States; it cannot be done while the Permanent Resident is away.
When you send the application for Permanent Resident Permit, you will be asked to present yourself to fingerprinting so you must wait for your appointment for fingerprints. If you leave the United States, the Embassy will not take your fingerprints since you do not have jurisdiction to do so.

How to apply for an SB-1 Visa:

Step 1

Set up an interview to review your case with the Immigrant Visa Section at tggsb1@state.gov. You must present the following information:

DS-117 completely filled.
Copy of Permanent Legal Resident Card.
$ 180.00 or its equivalent in Lempiras – Non-refundable.
Copy of the passport that shows your entry and exit stamps from the United States.
Telephone number and address where the resident can be located.
Copy of birth certificate.
A letter explaining the reasons why the resident did not return to the United States after his/her visit abroad. The letter must be in English and signed by the resident.
Evidence that the prolonged foreign visit was caused by unforeseen circumstances.
Evidence of completed income tax(s) from the United States on the previous year(s).
Evidence of possession of property in the United States.

Step 2

If your DS-117 application is approved, the Consulate will schedule you a new appointment in the coming months so that you can be present with your documents. MEDICAL EXAMINATION SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMED, until the moment your appointment is scheduled.

If the SB-1 Visa is denied on the basis that the alien (applicant) has resigned his/her residence in the United States, it may or may not be possible to obtain a non-immigrant visa, depending on whether the applicant has established residence abroad to which he will return to. If the applicant wishing to return to the United States cannot provide convincing evidence of ties abroad, he can apply for an immigrant visa under the same terms he originally immigrated, if that is still possible.