Ex-Sri Lankan Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa Applies For Green Card, Planning To Settle In America

The process for Rajapaksa's application to obtain the Green Card was initiated last month as he was eligible to apply due to his wife Loma Rajapaksa being a US citizen.

Former Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. (File Photo/ Getty)

Amid the ongoing economic crisis and political unrest in Sri Lanka, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is reportedly awaiting to obtain a United States Green Card to return to America and settle there with his wife and son. Rajapaksa fled the country following protests against economic crisis in the island nation. However, some reports state that he will return to Sri Lanka on August 24.

The process for Rajapaksa's application to obtain the Green Card was initiated last month as he was eligible to apply due to his wife Loma Rajapaksa being a US citizen, former President's laywer said, according to Sri Lankan media.

Before immigrating to the United States in 1998, Rajapaksa took early retirement from the Sri Lanka Army and moved into the field of information technology. However, he renounced his US citizenship to contest the 2019 presidential polls. 

The procedure will also now involve his lawyers in Colombo submitting the additional documents here in order to go ahead with the procedure, Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror reported.

Following the political instability in Sri Lanka, the former President fled to Bangkok along with his wife and will return to his nation on August 25, reporedly cancelling his initial plan to remain in Thailand at least till November.

Rajapaksa decided to return to the island nation after consulting his lawyers as he was not allowed the freedom to move in Thailand as initially expected, due to security concerns. After arriving in Bangkok, Thai Police asked Rajapaksa not to move outdoors due to security reasons.

The newly-formed Sri Lankan Cabinet will decided on providing Rajapaksa a state house and security accorded to a former President upon his return to the country. Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives last month and thereafter to Singapore. He entered Singapore on a medical visa and had it extended twice to remain in the country.

The ousted President went into hiding and later fled to the Maldives and then to the Singapore after protesters stormed President's house and office on July 9. On a request of Sri Lankan government, Rajapaksa entered Thailand last week. However, the Thailand government denied reports that the Sri Lankan ex-President had sought asylum in the country.