Applying for N-400 while outside of US

[Uydrk]

Hello,

1. I have been a permanent resident since Jan 18, 2008. So I'm now eligible to apply for N-400 as of October 18 2012.

2. I have started a Master degree in Sydney Australia as of March 3, 2012. The program will last about 2 years. I am currently in Sydney.

3. In order not to break the residency requirement, I have been back in July for 2 weeks and now I'll be back again in December.

4. Basically, according to the requirements I have stayed longer than 3 years in the last 5 years and I haven't been absent longer than 6 months.

My questions are
1. Can I apply for citizenship while outside?
2. If I can, then how do I fill N-400 Part 6 Information About Residence. It asks for Date left and Date Returned.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

- Adam

 

[S_Owoh]

You must reside in the district you file from for 3 months immediately prior to filing How are you going to meet this requirement ?

 

[mogambo1]

First step would be to recall and note down from your passport stamps the date of entry and exit in/ out of USA in an excel file and calculate the number days you were outside USA. Then check whether each outside trip did not last more than 180 days.

And I think you cannot apply for N-400 while outside USA, you should be in the USCIS district for at least 3 months before applying. Now if you do maintain your USA address then it would be easier.

Hello,

1. I have been a permanent resident since Jan 18, 2008. So I'm now eligible to apply for N-400 as of October 18 2012.

2. I have started a Master degree in Sydney Australia as of March 3, 2012. The program will last about 2 years. I am currently in Sydney.

3. In order not to break the residency requirement, I have been back in July for 2 weeks and now I'll be back again in December.

4. Basically, according to the requirements I have stayed longer than 3 years in the last 5 years and I haven't been absent longer than 6 months.

My questions are
1. Can I apply for citizenship while outside?
2. If I can, then how do I fill N-400 Part 6 Information About Residence. It asks for Date left and Date Returned.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

- Adam

 

[Jackolantern]

You can submit the application when you're outside the US, but you need to be in the US for the fingerprinting, interview, and oath. Your problem is that the extended time you're spending abroad may jeopardize your continuous residence; maintaining continuous residence is not as simple as keeping trips under 6 months each.

If you apply when abroad, don't write the current trip on the application. At the interview you'll give the start and end date of the trip, and the interviewer will update the application accordingly.

 

[Uydrk]

profi civehen

Is this true?

You must reside in the district you file from for 3 months immediately prior to filing How are you going to meet this requirement ?

 

[Uydrk]

Thank you for your reply. I'm going back and forth to make sure that I don't jeopardize my residence requirements.

Can you please elaborate on what you said a little bit? It asks for trips taken in the last 5 years. So the last trip that's still on going was the flight I took from July 15 and will end at December 4th. Do you think that I should leave that all out? Should I count the number of days beginning with July 15th and end with the date of application? And to the number of days I was out adding this last bit? Would that then not giving correct information?

Thank you kindly.

-Adam

You can submit the application when you're outside the US, but you need to be in the US for the fingerprinting, interview, and oath. Your problem is that the extended time you're spending abroad may jeopardize your continuous residence; maintaining continuous residence is not as simple as keeping trips under 6 months each.

If you apply when abroad, don't write the current trip on the application. At the interview you'll give the start and end date of the trip, and the interviewer will update the application accordingly.

 

[baikal3]

2. If I can, then how do I fill N-400 Part 6 Information About Residence. It asks for Date left and Date Returned.

Your bigger problem is part 4 of N-400, current home address. What were you going to put there?

 

[Jackolantern]

Can you please elaborate on what you said a little bit? It asks for trips taken in the last 5 years. So the last trip that's still on going was the flight I took from July 15 and will end at December 4th. Do you think that I should leave that all out?

Whether you write it in or leave it out, either way it won't be correct if you file the N-400 while still away on that trip. But that's what the interview is for -- to make corrections and inform the interviewer of new and changed facts.

The 3-month resident requirement doesn't mean you have to physically present in the district for the 3 months prior to filing. If you already lived in one place for 3 months and then you travel abroad or to another part of the US and then return to the same district, you would have still met the requirement.

 

[ptking]

FYI, I got my citizenship a week ago. I applied from abroad with an approved N-470. My interview and oath were on the same day at the San Francisco USCIS office. Mine was an administrative oath in front of a USCIS official in his office.

Bottom line:

1. If you have an approved N-470, and have accumulated the required physical residence, you CAN apply from abroad.
2. When applying, you can submit fingerprints on the FBI FD-258 cards and save a trip to the US for biometrics. I did not do this myself as I was not aware this was possible.
3. The 90-day residence requirement is NOT for the 90 days immediately preceding the filing of the N-400. Basically, you should have resided in that district for that period at SOME time in the past.
4. USCIS takes the view that an approved N-470 preserved BOTH continuous residence in general AND residence in the last district you lived in before leaving the US.

 

[itsa]

FYI, I got my citizenship a week ago. I applied from abroad with an approved N-470. My interview and oath were on the same day at the San Francisco USCIS office. Mine was an administrative oath in front of a USCIS official in his office.

Bottom line:

1. If you have an approved N-470, and have accumulated the required physical residence, you CAN apply from abroad.
2. When applying, you can submit fingerprints on the FBI FD-258 cards and save a trip to the US for biometrics. I did not do this myself as I was not aware this was possible.
3. The 90-day residence requirement is NOT for the 90 days immediately preceding the filing of the N-400. Basically, you should have resided in that district for that period at SOME time in the past.
4. USCIS takes the view that an approved N-470 preserved BOTH continuous residence in general AND residence in the last district you lived in before leaving the US.

Can you please tell if you filled it yourself or used any attorney's help? If Attorney/Lawyer - can you please provide their contact info? I am in same boat as you were.

FBI FD-258 cards - are these available only in USA? How does this part works?

 

[infWDDae]

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[mogambo1]

Who had let you in?

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[riq2012]

Hello Uydrk,

Please can you keep us informed of what's happening with your case? If I recall correctly you were supposed to apply in December.

I have a similar case so I am very interested!