Q: I have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for many years, but recently divorced my American citizen husband and returned to Jamaica to take care of my ailing mother. I previously had a non-immigrant visa for over 10 years, which was cancelled when my immigrant visa was issued.

I am considering surrendering my green card and obtaining a new non-immigrant visa, but I have heard that the United States Embassy does not look favourably upon people who abandon their permanent residency.

What is the procedure for surrendering my green card, and will it affect my ability to get a non-immigrant visa to the United States?

A: You’ve been misinformed. Abandonment of a green card does not generate disfavour. On the contrary, in most instances, it confirms that you have no intention of residing in the United States. Thanks for asking this important question, and here is all the information you need.

In order to voluntarily abandon your status as a legal permanent resident (LPR), you will need to print and complete Form I-407. The form can be found at

www.uscis.gov/i-407. Once completed, you need to mail it to the nearest US Citizenship and Immigration Service international office. For Jamaica, the mailing address for the closest office is as follows:

Field Office Director

Department of Homeland Security

US Citizenship and Immigration Services

US Embassy

Avenida Repulica de Columbia #57

Altos de Arroya Hondo

Santo Domingo, DN

Dominican Repbulic

10605

You may also submit the completed Form I-407 to a Customs and Border Protection officer at any US port of entry or you may submit it in person at a US Embassy or Consulate.

Please note that surrendering a legal permanent residency card does not entitle an applicant to a visa, but neither will it prevent an applicant from obtaining one. As with all applicants, former LPRs will be required to demonstrate that they do not intend to immigrate to the United States. You should be prepared to talk honestly and openly about how you are now established in Jamaica after having resided in the US, your reasons for abandoning your LPR status, your ties to Jamaica, as well as proof that you now only intend to stay in the United States temporarily.

If you have additional questions about legal permanent residency, or US citizenship, we encourage you to visit the US Citizenship and Immigration Service’s website at

www.uscis.gov. For any visa-related questions, and instructions on making an appointment for a non-immigrant visa interview, please visitusvisa-info.com.

You can find more information about how to travel to the US on our website,jm.usembassy.gov and the website of our authorised service provider at usvisa-info.com. Keep on top of Embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/US-Embassy-Jamaica and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter. We also answer general visa questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.