Trip outside US for more than 6months less than 1 year

[srinivsn]

Hi,

I have a question - I've been a permanent resident for the last 6 years - my mother who is a US citizen applied for me and I got the green card when I was 20 years old.

However, at this point, I was in my final year of my undergrad program in India. Hence, I came to the US in December 1999, got my greencard and went back to India the same month. I then came back to the US in August of 2000. Since then, I haven't left the country for any period greater than 1 month and meet all other requirements for citizenship.

It's now been more than 5 years since my 8 month trip outside the country in 1999-2000.

Am I eligible for citizenship? If so, what documents should I send to with my N-400 regarding this 8 month trip (which was more than 5 years before today?). Also, since I was a minor and a student at that point, I had no income and filed no US tax returns. My first US tax return was filed in 2001.

Thanks.

[pralay]

Originally Posted by srinivsn

I have a question - I've been a permanent resident for the last 6 years - my mother who is a US citizen applied for me and I got the green card when I was 20 years old.

However, at this point, I was in my final year of my undergrad program in India. Hence, I came to the US in December 1999, got my greencard and went back to India the same month. I then came back to the US in August of 2000. Since then, I haven't left the country for any period greater than 1 month and meet all other requirements for citizenship.

It's now been more than 5 years since my 8 month trip outside the country in 1999-2000.

Am I eligible for citizenship? If so, what documents should I send to with my N-400 regarding this 8 month trip (which was more than 5 years before today?). Also, since I was a minor and a student at that point, I had no income and filed no US tax returns. My first US tax return was filed in 2001.

It's more than 5 five years after your 8 month trip in 1999-2000. You can apply for citizenship now. I don't think you need to send any document about 8 month trip as it happened more than five years back.

You would have to provide document about 8 month trip only if you applied for your citizenship on 2004 (five years after you received your GC on 1999). In that case, you had to show that your did not break continuous residency in 1999-2000 (even though you were absent for 8 month). But you did not apply for citizenship on 2004 anyway.