Leaving US up to 18 months

[josil]

Hi Experts,
I am green card hold for the last fours years. I will be eligible for applying for citizenship by end of this year. I work a one of the top 10 companies in the Fortune 500 list.
My company has a project in UK that can run up to 18 months. Since it is a good career move, I am giving it a serious thought.

I am ready to postponing my citizenship process up to 2 years. Since I will be in UK, I will be able to visit US at least once every 6 months.

My question - how does this affect my citizenship process?

 

[rwsh]

Should be no problem.

Make sure that you (1) apply for a re-entry permit (I-131) for your absence/s (2) file the "Application to preserve residence" (N-470); both with the USICS.

The former will ensure that your Green Card is preserved. The latter will preserve SOME of the residency requirements for your naturalization application.

However, after your return, you will still have to meet all "physical presence" requirements before you apply.

When you return, make sure you also complete the USCIS address change notification (AR-11) just for the sake of completeness.

Other than that, my opinion (non legal), is that you should be just fine. I got my GC in 1983 and completed many overseas assignments for my US employer before eventually applying for, and being approved for, US citizenship.

Good luck.

 

[boatbod]

The N-470 is an absolute "MUST HAVE" if you don't want to reset your continuous residence clock. (Flying back every 6 months doesn't work). The only catch I recently became aware of, is a requirement that you must have spent 1 year uninterrupted presence in the US prior to the trip.

Appendix 74-24 Form N-470: Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes (Under Section 316(b) or 317 of the Act).

 

[warlord]

It also helps if the company is a US based company you are working for too. That will make it easier for INS to determine you were not abandoning your Green Card by being away for that long. Anything after a year is very difficult to prove you didn't abandon your Green Card. So yes take the advice above and really make sure you maintain a residence and things here in the US to (sublease your house or apt etc), pay US taxes (if for a US company this should be automatic) etc.

Make sure you work extra hard to get all the evidence needed to prove that this was a work related issue to your US based company and you should be ok (should meaning a better then 50% chance)...

 

[Flydog]

And do other residential things (keep a bank account, credit cards, even a cell phone).

 

[josil]

Thanks for all your inputs. Really appreciate all your help.