Does being unemployed hurt my naturalization application?

[SebJones]

I have been in the country for about ten years legally. I'm a green card holder. For the first six years I was regularly employed, that's it after I was given a work permit while I was waiting for my green card, so that would be from mid 2004 to early 2010. But since 2010 I have been mostly living off savings because of the horrible work situation and bad economy since the 2008 collapse, except for most of 2012 when I had a full time job and some freelance jobs every now and then before that. This year I had to file for unemployment, which I got for four months and then I got a temporary job for 3 months until October.

So my question is, would my current unemployed situation cause a problem if I apply for citizenship right now? Can they deny citizenship to a legal permanent resident for not having a totally stable work history, even if everything else is in order? (meaning taxes filed, no police record, etc).

I know the first question somebody may ask me is why do I want to spend the money to apply now if I'm not employed at the moment, and basically that is because my father is very ill and I may have to go spend time with him, and since he lives in another country that is going through a chaotic time right now, I would feel safer going there as an American citizen, besides the fact that if anything happens and I have to stay over a year I would lose my permanent residency. Obviously I want to become a citizen because I love this country, but under different circumstances I would wait until I have a stable job.

Thanks

 

[Hannah7]

If you are eligible for citizenship then you should apply especially when you plan on being abroad that long. My understanding is that being unemployed has no effect on your naturalization application. The only thing you might have to prove is that you were living off your savings and that you didn't support your lifestyle through any illegal activity.

 

[Jackolantern]

There are two ways that unemployment could hurt you:

1. Your green card was employment-based and you never joined the sponsoring employer* within a reasonable time after GC approval.
or
2. You have a long period of unemployment without an acceptable explanation for it. Be prepared to find documentation to back up your explanation (e.g. old bank statements, severance package letter, spouse's tax returns) to show that you had a legal means of financial support during long gaps when you weren't working. They don't always ask for such documentation, but if they ask you should have it at the interview or else your case will be delayed.

*or another employer in a job that was similar (according to AC21) to the job on which your green card was based