Surrendering green card in exchange for 5-year visa?

A Chinese site posting said that if someone surrenders a green card properly (using I-407) the U.S. Embassy in China would grant the person a 5-year, multi-entry visa for future use. Any official policy on this?

Surrendering green card in exchange for 5-year visa?
depends on why they are surrendering it. for someone whose green card is in good status, I agree with Fred S. However, if someone has been outside of the US for over a year and can't use their green card anyway, I wouldn't be so easily persuaded that they aren't an intending immigrant. I'd have to hear a bit more. But, there is no official policy on this either way, beyond the fact that consular officers aren't supposed to issue any sort of visa to someone with a green card.
Reply:People who voluntarily surrender their green cards and execute form I-407 are probably the most bona fide nonimmigrants on the planet. If a person no longer wants to live in the U.S., that person is probably the most legitimate visitor out of a thousand visitors.





When border officers discover that a green card holder no longer lives in the U.S., they offer the person two choices:


1. Present the case to an Immigration Judge;


2. Surrender the card and enter as a visitor (or whatever status they seek).





Normally, the person won't have a visitors visa, but the border officers will happily waive the visa requirement in exchange for the surrender of the green card.





I believe that the site posting that you referred to is 100% authentic. You can safely turn in the card to a visa officer at the U.S. consulate or embassy, but not to anyone else in China.
Reply:never heard of that, but check w/ the embassy in china
Reply:Rubbish!





Besides who in their right mind would give up a green card in exchange for a 5 year multi-entry visa anyway?





Complete trash.
Reply:you'd better check it out at uscis.gov





I can think of all sorts of reasons some scam site would want you to give them a legitimate green card, none of them good.





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Fred, above, is probably right, but I would still do it through an official site. Just because the program legitimately exists doesn't mean the agent you are using is legitimate.
Reply:This is officially legitimate. Permanent residents must physically be in US at least 6 months a year, and a lot of people cannot do that. So this is the option for those who wish to come and go but not live in US permanently.





You surender greencard and receive multiple entry tourist visa for 5 years or 10 years depending on what country you're in.