GC and Citizenship

[Pungiwalla]

Do you have to wait for 4 or 5 yrs to be eligible to file for US citizenship ? I am told you could apply after 4 yrs and few months..Please calrify this.

If I obtained 2 yr reentry permit and lived outside USA for two yrs and came back, would it count towards 5 yrs wait period ? Does this 5 yrs have to be physical presence in USA ?

I would like to keep US citizenship option open for my 8 yr old daughter...If I fullfilled 5 yrs requirement but my wife and child used 2 yr rerentry permit and stayed abroad ...will they be eligible for US citizenship ? THe idea is to bring my daughter up in india and have the US citizenship option for her down the road. What is the best way to do this ?

[Avalon]

****

This subject interests me. But I am confused. You need to elaborate on

1. How does one become eligible after 4 y 1 d?

2. If physical presence of 5 y states only continuous residence of half of 5y then one can be present in US for only 2.5 y and get US citizenship 5y after obtaining GC. And conitnuous presnece of 2.5y can be with occasional absence with each absence not more than 6 months.

[Pungiwalla]

Great job Joe, Earlier I was confused with the 5Y contineous presence Vs. 2.5 y physical presence but now it makes sense...in 5Y period you should not be physically absent more than 6 months from the US every year. that means you could be away upto six months in an year and still fulfill the requirement of 5y contineous residence.

Joe and other gurus I have one another question.

For e.g My daughter is 8 yrs old and GC holder...is there any provision for her to obtain US citizenship even if she didn't fullfill the 5Y requirement as she is minor right now and couldn't take her own decision.

in such case, does US immigration provide flexibilty to minor person to make decision about US citizenship when they become 18 yrs old ?