Extensive number of oversea travels issue

C

cornerstone

Registered Users (C)
My citizenship interview is coming up this Oct. I have some concern about the number of oversea trips I have taken.

In the five-year period before filing N-400, I took about 30 short oversea trips (most of them are 3 weeks, max is two months). After filing N-400, I have another 5 trips. The first 3-year travel is related to a US company which is out of business now. The rest trips are related to my current consulting job: I have been doing contract job for non US companies oversea for 3 years.

In the 5-year period I have about 1/3 of time staying abroad and 2/3 at US.

My concern is whether my last three years work for non US companies will jeopardize my application for citizenship. Will the number of trips affect my application too?

Thanks a bunch in advance.
 
Not an issue

The physical requirements requires you to be in the U.S for a total of 30 months prior to filing. Number of trips should not matter, even less if it were for work-related reasons. As long as you maintained residence here ( i.e., have rent or mortgage papers, utility bills etc.). Who you worked for does not matter..
 
Thanks. That's what I thought.
But the other day I asked an immigration consultant and she told me that I supposed to work for a US company because I got the GC via employment. She provided no suggestion and did not think she could help.
Will the immigration officer think that I don't have the intension of staying in US because I work abroad?
 
Thanks for clarifying the confusion, JoeF.
Could you ask your friend what kind of questions the officer asked regarding the trips? Does your friend need to show any extra materials like contracts to prove his case?
In my case, I do work as a self-employed consultant and most of the time I don't have a written contract because a lot of business is done based on personal trust.
 
extensive travel

Hi cornerstone,
How did your interview go on 1 st Oct?
Pl post your experience and how were you questioned on the extensive travel out of USA?
 
In mid Oct. I'm still a little bit nervous regarding the travel issue. I hope someone else (maybe JoeF's friend) could share his experience.
I'll post mine after the interview.
 
Just finished the interview and the officier did not care about the number of trips I have. He asked whether I had more trips between the filing and the interview which I have. So I turned in a list of the trips.
He basically went through the paperwork for verification and adding new info.
That's all.
 
Cornerstone,
Congratulations !!
I am sure you are a much relieved and happy person now.
 
Can you please post your detailed interview experience .(Questions you were asked/docs u took) and any oath info please ?
 
The officer only asked for the current passport( he did not ask for all passports), the driver license, and the green card. And did not ask for any other things though I have brought them.
The interview process was quite simple. I was called a couple minutes before the scheduled time. We went through my info on the application section by section to see there are any changes.
After that he handed me a sheet with 10 questions and I only need to get 6 correct which is easy.
Then he told me I have to wait for the name check which could take months. So I'm still waiting for the oath letter.
The process is much easier than I thought. So be relaxed and trueful and it will be fine. :)
 
hey thanks a lot and congrads.. what name check are you referring to ? the background check (fingerprinting for fbi) ????

Also what is your timeline in the city where you applied?
 
PD: Nov. 2002
FP: Dec. 2002
interview letter: Aug 2003.
interview: Oct. 2003
Oath letter: waiting
city: San Jose

I don't know what exactly the name check is. The officer told me they needed to check and I had to wait for the letter. Maybe it's what you refer to.
 
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