A U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) or Conditional Resident (CR) who has remained outside the United States for longer than one year, or beyond the validity period of a Re-entry Permit, will require a new immigrant visa to enter the United States and resume permanent residence.  You can learn more about Returning Resident Visas on usvisas.state.gov.

If you are married to a U.S. citizen who is currently residing in Switzerland, we would suggest that your U.S. citizen spouse file an I-130 petition on your behalf instead.

Once you have reviewed the requirements of the SB-1 Visa and believe that you may qualify, please email the nearest Consulate where you would like to apply with the subject line: “Returning Resident SB-1 Visa – Surname, Given name.” Please print the Documentation Checklist (PDF 97 KB) and submit this with your supporting documents at the time of the scheduled interview.