How to tackle work related absence for GC and citizenship?

[chipcruiser]

I received my Green Card through my company in late 2007. My wife and I are in vacation in India for 2 months now. I am now still employed with the same company and required to work for my company’s India office from Jan-Aug 2009. I alone will come back to the US for a few days in Jan. My wife plans to continue in India.

Would any of you know, what I need to do to
1. Preserve Green card for me and my wife
2. Make sure my/her citizenship process is not affected.

 

[chipcruiser]

I wanted to clarify that I will still be paid by US company (in dollars and thus paying US taxes). It is not a transfer to their India office. It is a temporary relocation.

 

[TheRealCanadian]

I am now still employed with the same company and required to work for my company’s India office from Jan-Aug 2009. I alone will come back to the US for a few days in Jan. My wife plans to continue in India.

Your absence will break continuous residence for naturalization purposes, and you may need to prove you didn't abandon your US residence, being away for almost a year.

 

[chipcruiser]

Thanks. Would filing a form I came across (N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes) help in the naturalization process since I have to travel to an Indian subsidiary of the US firm for work purposes?

Also, I take it the problem is mainly for naturalization/citizenship and not for the green card itself?

Your absence will break continuous residence for naturalization purposes, and you may need to prove you didn't abandon your US residence, being away for almost a year.

 

[GCman2005]

come back in june and return to india. you ll be ok.
after more 6 months outside, the citizenship clock is back to zero.

 

[Jackolantern]

If the trips total less than a year, and no trip is over 6 months, you should be OK. It's when you string together several trips over more than a year, or take one trip over 6 months, that's when you can expect problems with naturalization.

 

[jllag1]

Thanks. Would filing a form I came across (N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes) help in the naturalization process since I have to travel to an Indian subsidiary of the US firm for work purposes?

Also, I take it the problem is mainly for naturalization/citizenship and not for the green card itself?

I would imagine that it should not hurt to apply for N-470. Remember that N-470 "tries" to preserve your continuous residency requirements for naturalization if your absence is more than 1 year. (Somebody educate me, does N-470 help if absence is less than 1 year (more than 6 months, of course??)) and you have to have 1 year of continuous stay without any gaps before you can file N-470.

But as others suggest, if you have money, you might want to take a quick trip back before 6 months are up and not have to deal with continuous residency breaks.