Has anyone filed for naturalization after working abroad?

Pingpong007

New Member
I have a job offer abroad that I plan to take up for one year (more to take care of my parents during these trying times). My family will join me. I plan to file N-400 after coming back to the US (ideally, with a job here). I got a reentry permit, will try to maintain ties to the US (taxes, paying rent). Assuming I can somehow meet the continuous residency requirement during this time, I would like to know what I can expect during the interview, and how good my chances are of a successful application.

Can anyone who has applied after such an absence share their interview experience?
 
The re-entry permit will protect your green card but it will not prevent you from being presumed to break continuous residence (6 months absence) or automatically breaking continuous residence (1 year absence). Paying taxes is a given as it is a requirement for a green card holder. If you are absent longer than 6 months but less than a year you can try present evidence to rebut the presumption of breaking residence - the kind of examples USCIS gives are:

However, an applicant may overcome the presumption of a break in the continuity of residence by providing evidence to establish that the applicant did not disrupt the continuity of his or her residence. Such evidence may include, but is not limited to, documentation that during the absence:
  • The applicant did not terminate his or her employment in the United States or obtain employment while abroad;
  • The applicant’s immediate family members remained in the United States; and
  • The applicant retained full access to or continued to own or lease a home in the United States.

It sounds to me from what you have said that you will have difficulty rebutting it, taking a job overseas and moving your family with you. You might try returning in the interim to prevent any individual absence being longer than 6 months; you may still get questioned about it but will probably have a greater likelihood of success as you will have avoided the presumption of the break. (I did this latter, got questioned about it quite extensively, but was successful.) If you are absent one year or longer the break in continuity is no longer rebuttable.
 
Thanks. Could you share some details on what kind of interview questions were asked and how you handled them? Do you need to produce my documents related to your stay abroad?
 
I don’t remember exactly all the questions but she wanted a lot of detail about why I was abroad for so long, and went through all the details of job, where family was, what the exact ties were etc etc. I answered what was honest to my situation.
 
Top