Will Traveling to Another Country Affect My U.S. Citizen Visa Status?

Another Country Affect My SLC Visa Status?

If you have a permanent visa, you may be wondering if traveling to another country will have any effect on your status. The answer is complicated and depends on a number of factors, such as the country you are visiting, the length of your stay, and the type of visa you have.

There are two types of visas: immigrant and non-immigrant. Immigrant visas are intended for people who want to live permanently in the United States, while non-immigrant visas are for people who want to live in the United States temporarily. Which type of visa you have will affect whether or not traveling to another country will impact your status.

You Have an Immigrant Visa

If you have an immigrant visa, traveling generally will not impact your status as long as you do not plan on being gone for an extended period of time, usually more than six months.

However, if you plan to leave the U.S. for an extended period of time (more than six months), you will need to get obtain what is called a Re-entry Permit to return to the United States. Before you make travel plans, it’s best to check with an immigration lawyer in Utah if you plan to travel outside of the U.S. to make sure your visa will still be valid when you return.

You Have a Non-Immigrant Visa

If you have a non-immigrant visa, traveling to another country can potentially affect your status. You should always confirm that you have a valid visa in your passport before you leave the U.S. There is a possibility that your visa could be revoked if U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines that you entered on a non-immigrant visa such as a visitor or student visa but your intention is to reside permanently in the United States.

Check Before You Travel

The answer to whether traveling will affect your permanent visa status depends on several factors. If you have an immigrant visa, traveling usually does not impact your status if you do not plan on being gone for more than 6 months. However, if you have a non-immigrant visa, traveling can potentially affect your status if upon entering the U.S., USCIS determines that you intend to reside in the United States on a permanent basis.

Before traveling from Salt Lake City outside of the United States, it’s important to consult with a visa attorney in Utah, to review your immigrant or non-immigrant status and prepare any appropriate documents (if necessary). They will make sure that you’re taking the right steps for a smooth trip and help you avoid any delays or complications when returning to the U.S.

If you are in the Salt Lake City, UT, area and have questions about work visas, green cards, or other immigration concerns, contact the experienced immigration attorneys at Buhler Thomas Law, P.C.

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I can't find enough words to thank Kim! She is so amazingly knowledgeable and helped me so much that I can't thank her enough. She answered all questions, gave invaluable advice, and I am so lucky that I had chosen her as a lawyer! Thank you again, Kim!
Response from the owner:It was truly a pleasure meeting with you! The U.S. benefits from individuals like you.
Garrett S.
We cannot thank Kim and her team enough for everything she has done for us. From the very beginning, she went above and beyond with her time, guidance, and support. Her professionalism, knowledge, and compassion made all the difference in our journey, and we truly believe that without her help, the whole process would have been a lot harder.

What sets her apart is not only her expertise, but also dedication she shows to her clients. She always took the time to explain each step clearly, answer our questions thoroughly, and ensure we felt confident and supported throughout the process.

We are deeply grateful for her hard work and commitment, and we look forward to working with her again in the future if needed. We would gladly recommend her to anyone seeking legal help - Kim is, without question, the lawyer you want by your side.
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Autumn B.
Buhler Thomas Law assisted our agency with the H1-B visa process. They were knowledgeable, helpful, and easy to work with throughout the process. We appreciated their guidance and support they provided us.
Response from the owner:Autumn, thank you for being fantastic to work with especially when we would reach out on Fridays.
David G.
Kim helped me get the green card when we were newly weds. Had a great experience through it all. Very knowledgeable and professional!
Response from the owner:David, it was my absolute pleasure!
Gary H.
Worked with Kim and Eliza over the last several months. They truly are experts and wonderful to work with. We had a successful outcome as a result of their work!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the positive review! We truly enjoyed working with you. You will always be one of Eliza's favorites! We appreciate how dedicated you are and quick to respond to emails. We look forward to working with you again in the future.
Rebekah H.
Kim was a beacon of clarity during a frustrating and confusing process. I initially tried to file our marriage green card application on my own and only realized later that I had submitted just one of several required forms. I was overwhelmed and worried I’d make serious mistakes. From the moment we started working with Kim, everything changed. She answered all our questions with patience, simplified the entire process, and brought us peace of mind. She even met with us on Christmas Eve to help finalize our packet so we could submit it ASAP. When we got our interview notice, she responded quickly—scheduling a late-night Zoom call to walk us through what to expect and gave us a detailed checklist to stay organized. Thanks to her guidance, we felt confident and prepared—and the interview went smoothly. Kim is not just a knowledgeable attorney, but a kind and supportive person who genuinely cares about her clients. We’re so grateful for her help and can’t recommend her enough!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words. You were truly a pleasure to work with. I don't routinely schedule to meet with clients on Christmas Eve or holidays in general. That said, your efforts were so sincere and I could not help but want to help you. Wishing your family much happiness.
J
Kim, Beca, and the entire team at Buhler Thomas Law were fantastic in our process of securing permanent residency, to say the least. From beginning to end, we received detailed, thorough, timely, and helpful communication about every step of the process. They were always quick to answer questions as well, but above all, we could tell that this team genuinely cared about us. The excitement we felt together as we reached each milestone of the process was tangible and means a lot. I cannot recommend this team enough for any immigration legal needs one might have.
Response from the owner:We have many wonderful clients that we enjoy working with. You two are among our favorites. We appreciate how responsive you bother were to our emails and calls. More importantly though we appreciate how helpful and kind you both were in how you both were in how you communicated. It truly was our pleasure to work with you.
Vale D.
Very impressed with the work that was completed. I've worked with many law firms & attorneys from many different industries. Kim & he team are by far the most impressive in this field than anybody else. I plan to work with them in a few years again. Thanks Kim & team!
Response from the owner:Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your review is so appreciated during this chaotic time in our nation. Our sincerest gratitude for taking this time to write this review.
Yolanda O.
Kim and Eliza are amazing to work with! They have helped us through 2 H1B processes. Their attention to detail, thorough communication and encouragement made a complicated process easy and smooth on our end. I highly recommend them for your immigration needs.
Response from the owner:I wish all our clients were as responsive as you were. It was our pleasure to work with you.