Citizenship eligibility questions

[caduri]

I have few specific questions on the eligibility for applying citizenship. I appreciate if some one who knew the answers can guide me here.

1) Living 3 months in the district you are applying: One of the eligibility requirements is to reside in the disctict or state in which i am applying for citizenship for the last 3 months. My questions is: Do I have to be physically present the district or state for the last 3 months just before applying ? Or Is it OK just to maintain the address in the state ? In my case I have lived more than 3 years physically in the state where I am panning to apply, but I am going to India for next 4 or 5 months and planning to apply as soon as I come here. Can some one clarify if the PHYSICAL presense is required for the last 3 months ?

2) My second questions is, I read somewhere that I can't leave the country after applying for Citizenship until I get it. Since now a days it is almost taking 12 to 16 months to complete the whole process, Is it true that I can't leave the country during this time ?

3) Final question is: Do INS count the 30 months physical presene from the day we apply for citizenship to the previous 5 years or do they consider from the day approve the application to the previous 5 years ? Since they are taking too much time for processing the applications now, I wanted to just confim how they really calculate this ?

Thanks a lot..
I love this forum.

 

[boatbod]

I have few specific questions on the eligibility for applying citizenship. I appreciate if some one who knew the answers can guide me here.

1) Living 3 months in the district you are applying: One of the eligibility requirements is to reside in the disctict or state in which i am applying for citizenship for the last 3 months. My questions is: Do I have to be physically present the district or state for the last 3 months just before applying ? Or Is it OK just to maintain the address in the state ? In my case I have lived more than 3 years physically in the state where I am panning to apply, but I am going to India for next 4 or 5 months and planning to apply as soon as I come here. Can some one clarify if the PHYSICAL presense is required for the last 3 months ?

You must just have been a resident in the district for a minimum of 90 days. There is no need to have been physically present the whole time, especially since you don't cease to be a resident just because you've made a temporary trip to a foreign country.

2) My second questions is, I read somewhere that I can't leave the country after applying for Citizenship until I get it. Since now a days it is almost taking 12 to 16 months to complete the whole process, Is it true that I can't leave the country during this time ?

You can travel freely, so long as you continue to observe all the original N-400 eligibility criteria, particularly continuous residence element.

3) Final question is: Do INS count the 30 months physical presene from the day we apply for citizenship to the previous 5 years or do they consider from the day approve the application to the previous 5 years ? Since they are taking too much time for processing the applications now, I wanted to just confim how they really calculate this ?.

You have to meet the eligibility criteria throughout the application process. Since physical presence is a 5yr rolling window, you'll probably need to have accrued some extra time above the 30 month minimum in order to be safe.