Jack says he gave up his US green card

Jack Warner with supporters in CWC

Jack Warner told reporters Wednesday he gave up his US Green Card on December 28, 2012 and exchanged it a 10-year visa to travel to the United States.

On Monday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar asked at a political meeting whether the former cabinet minister had returned the Green Card to the Americans.

A Green Card is proof that the holder has lawful permanent residency in the United States and is authorized to live and work in the U.S. on a permanent basis. The holder must maintain permanent resident status, and can be removed from the United States if certain conditions of this status are not met.

One of those conditions is that the card must be renewed every six months. 

Warner told reporters he did not wish to travel to the US every six months to renew the card so he renewed the card. "I got a green card in 1991 when I used to travel all over the world. Now I am in politics, every six months I have to go to the US to get my green card, to keep it alive," local media quoted him as saying.

He stated that the last time he renewed the card was in November last year after which he decided to return the card since he had no intentions of travelling again. 

"So on December 28, I took Francis Joseph with me to the US Embassy, and I told them I want to give up the green card for a visa and within 15 minutes the US Embassy gave me a ten-year visa."

Joseph worked with Warner for three years as an adviser and is now the Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister. Francis told JYOTI he did not accompany Warner to the US embassy.