Citizenship Rules

D

davidfisherman

New Member
Hi all, I was trying to figure something out. I am a green card holder for a little over 1 year now (married to a US citizen for 10 years now). I'm not sure about the time i need to wait to apply for the citizenship but I heard I still have 2 more years (i stand corrected) for that.

I own and operate a small IT consulting business in the US (2 employees). Things have been very slow but I recently got an opportunity to start a small IT consulting firm. This is a great opportunity and I don't want to lose it. I heard from a friend that if I moved there but still work for a US based company, the time there actually counts toward my citizenship. My questions is, is that true? and if not, how long can I stay outside the US continuously without jeopardizing my citizenship?

Thank you so much for you help on this :)

-David
 
Yes, in your case, 3 years minus 90 days (85 days better, to be safe) after you got your Green Card.

Of course it is always better not to go to work to another country. I'll let someone else answer the question about working abroad. In general it is not good if you are planning to naturalize.
 
davidfisherman said:
I own and operate a small IT consulting business in the US (2 employees). Things have been very slow but I recently got an opportunity to start a small IT consulting firm. This is a great opportunity and I don't want to lose it. I heard from a friend that if I moved there but still work for a US based company, the time there actually counts toward my citizenship. My questions is, is that true?
Click to expand...
It is true, but only if you can get an approved N-470.
 
Thank you guys, great info. Any idea on what the chances are of them approving the N-470 application? Especially if I were the President of the company in this case?
 
As far as the 3 years is concerned, is there a time limit on it? Meaning do I have to accumulate the 3 years within a 5 or 10 years or is it pretty open and as soon as I accumulate it I can apply for the citizenship?

Thanks again :-)
 
davidfisherman said:
As far as the 3 years is concerned, is there a time limit on it? Meaning do I have to accumulate the 3 years within a 5 or 10 years or is it pretty open and as soon as I accumulate it I can apply for the citizenship?

Thanks again :-)
Click to expand...

3 consecutive years unlimited as long as you don't break residency ties and are married to a USC for at least 3 years.
 
davidfisherman said:
As far as the 3 years is concerned, is there a time limit on it? Meaning do I have to accumulate the 3 years within a 5 or 10 years or is it pretty open and as soon as I accumulate it I can apply for the citizenship?
Click to expand...
It's the last 3 years leading up to the day you file the application.
 
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