Van Gisbergen cannot leave US until Green Card approved

Shane van Gisbergen says he would like to return to New Zealand during NASCAR's off-season, but the Trackhouse Racing driver says he cannot leave the United States until he acquires his Green Card. A Green Card, officially a Permanent Resident Card, gives a non-US citizen the right to live and work permanently in the country.

Van Gisbergen, who has two more years on his contract with Trackhouse, described the acquisition as a "complicated process". It involves an immigrant petition filed by Trackhouse, approval from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, fingerprinting, background and security checks, a medical exam and an in-person interview.

"We're doing it the right way. It'll be interesting to see what happens," Van Gisbergen said.