Moving abroad during N-400

G

GreyandGreen

Registered Users (C)
Hi all,

I would appreciate it if someone could give me some advice pertaining to my citizenship process.

I'm a Canadian citizen living in the United States with my husband and 3 young children who are American citizens by birth. I have recently met the 3 year requirement to apply for U.S. citizenship through marriage. My husband has accepted a job offer abroad and has already moved. The kids and I will follow in a week. I applied for citizenship and have thus far completed the fingerprinting process and am now in line for interview scheduling. I will fly back for my interview and that's where I would appreciate some help/advice on how to navigate this situation.

If all goes well, we will be keeping our lease in the states at least until the end of the oath ceremony. I know the issue of our moving will definitely come up because the IO will see the visa stamps on my passport and questions will arise from that.

Would it be helpful if I explained that I'm a housewife and will thus go wherever my husband goes. And eventually my husband and children WILL return to the states, mainly because they were born here and my husband has immediate family ties here (parents and siblings). The other reason being, the country where my husband will be employed does not offer citizenship to anyone other than it's indigenous population, so there is no chance we could abandon permanent residence in the U.S., even if we wanted to, not that we do. I want to make sure that through my citizenship I can stay with my family on their visits and eventual return to the states.

Thoughts?
 
I would strongly recommend to maintain your residence until your oath is done. As you are already in-line for the interview the whole process won't take that long anymore.

Because you apply through marriage, make sure to get tax transcripts from the last years, they might ask for them.

What is your field office?
 
Yep, we will definitely be maintaining residence until the completion of the entire process. But does that even matter if the IO starts asking me about where my husband works, how long we plan to stay in the country where he's employed and so on? Could I be denied citizenship based on my American husband working in another country for the foreseeable future, even though he and therefore I definitely plan to return to the states someday?
 
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Why should they ask where your husband works? Your husband is a US Citizen, he can work wherever an how long he likes. You visited him and get back to your residence in the states, that is all what matters.
 
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Ah, I see where you're coming from...But I'm just scared IO will see visa stamps on passport, ask where I've been, discover husband is working abroad and on further questioning (a simple question such as "will you be joining him?") discover I intend to move there as well and thus deny me citizenship. Do you understand what I mean?

I just read your timeline, congratulations on successfully completing the process! It must be such a relief to have this over with.
 
If they really ask this question you can say the truth "Yes sometime in the future". Intend to move somewhere in the future is no reason that they would deny your N-400 application.

Yes, it is a great relief to got rid of the GC and have the US Passport coz we are doing exactly the same like you very soon :)
 
54583347

Good idea. Thank you and good luck with your move!

Any and all advice from other posters would be appreciated as well. Thanks!
 
Tazmania said:
Why should they ask where your husband works? Your husband is a US Citizen, he can work wherever an how long he likes.
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But the 3-year marriage rule is based on residing in the US, with the US citizen spouse. So if the USC spouse is no longer residing in the US, that hurts the permanent resident spouse's chance of naturalizing via the 3-year rule.
 
GreyandGreen said:
I have recently met the 3 year requirement to apply for U.S. citizenship through marriage. My husband has accepted a job offer abroad and has already moved.
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Is the overseas job for a US company? Does he have a contract for a specific length of time, or does he have a work permit that expires on a specific date? Or is it open-ended employment?

Have your children already moved abroad with him?

If all goes well, we will be keeping our lease in the states at least until the end of the oath ceremony. I know the issue of our moving will definitely come up because the IO will see the visa stamps on my passport and questions will arise from that.
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You are also required to inform USCIS of trips outside the US between the application filing date and interview, and between interview and oath.
 
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Jackolantern said:
But the 3-year marriage rule is based on residing in the US, with the US citizen spouse. So if the USC spouse is no longer residing in the US, that hurts the permanent resident spouse's chance of naturalizing via the 3-year rule.
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I cannot see anything in 319(a) INA that makes it mandatory that the US citizen spouse has to be in the country. At least for the last three year before N-400 application that was true anyway.
 
Tazmania said:
I cannot see anything in 319(a) INA that makes it mandatory that the US citizen spouse has to be in the country.
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The naturalization applicant must reside in the US ("reside" doesn't mean present all the time, of course).

The 3-year naturalization applicant must also be "living in marital union with the citizen spouse", which implies the US citizen is also residing in the US, unless there is an explanation that doesn't involve a break in marital union or the naturalization applicant residing abroad.
 
Jackolantern said:
Is the overseas job for a US company? Does he have a contract for a specific length of time, or does he have a work permit that expires on a specific date? Or is it open-ended employment?

Have your children already moved abroad with him?


You are also required to inform USCIS of trips outside the US between the application filing date and interview, and between interview and oath.
Click to expand...


It's open-ended employment for a non-US company. My children are all under 5 and still with me.

I hadn't thought of how I'd have to inform them of recent trips. I think it would be beneficial to return at least 2 weeks before the interview.
 
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