N400 Alert for Continuous residence!!

A

Amiranb

New Member
Hi all!
I got my green card on February 28, 2017 and have been phisycally presented in USA for more than 32 months until now. I have never had trips more than 180 days out of USA.
When I filed N400 section with list of place I lived during last 5 years, I showed multiple trips for 5 to 5.5 months long for first 2.5 years and address of places where I physically stayed abroad during that period. When list were filed I've got an alert: "You may not meet the continuous residence requirement. If you left the United States for more than a year during last 5 years, you may have broken your continues residence."
But I have never leaved the US for more than 6 months.
I don't understand why it treats two separate trips duration of 5.5 months in the same year as one long 1 year trip?
Also at the end the form requests me to upload Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization - form N-470, that I don't see how can be applicable in my case.

Can anyone advise me in this regard?
 
I got the same message and it was because of the addresses I used. I bet you entered a foreign address for the first year. I was thinking of putting my hotel as the address for my mid-year trip, just for a few days, but thought it might be considered a lie. Better to be honest.

I'm going to have this exact same situation when I go for my interview in 2 weeks - my plan is to say it's the Green Card Lottery and you don't know you're going to win so my first year was hunting for jobs and coming for interviews and choosing a city to live in and I never broke the 6 months residency.
 
guestgulkan said:
I got the same message and it was because of the addresses I used. I bet you entered a foreign address for the first year. I was thinking of putting my hotel as the address for my mid-year trip, just for a few days, but thought it might be considered a lie. Better to be honest.

I'm going to have this exact same situation when I go for my interview in 2 weeks - my plan is to say it's the Green Card Lottery and you don't know you're going to win so my first year was hunting for jobs and coming for interviews and choosing a city to live in and I never broke the 6 months residency.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your answer,
So how did you deal withe the problem while filling the online form? Did you entered foreign address regardless the alert message?
What was the result of your interview? Did they accept your reasons for the absences?
Truly appreciate your advise.
 
I just left the warning there, since it's not necessarily a deal breaker. I'm just going to explain the situation to the officer - I had a messy first year trying to find a job and finish up in my home country. Maybe I can ask him to change my permanent address to my friend's house I was using as my USA base.

My interview is in a week so wish me luck.
 
Amiranb said:
Thanks for your answer,
So how did you deal withe the problem while filling the online form? Did you entered foreign address regardless the alert message?
What was the result of your interview? Did they accept your reasons for the absences?
Truly appreciate your advise.
Click to expand...
Passed my interview!

IO asked about the large number of days I was outside the country. 550+! I explained I'm a lottery winner and needed to shut my house, sell my car etc and the bulk of the 500 days absence, 300+, were in the first year . After that I settled down in the USA. I followed all the rules never broke my permanent residency etc. Really talked up a storm.

She accepted it and now I'm waiting for my oath ceremony.
 
guestgulkan said:
Passed my interview!

IO asked about the large number of days I was outside the country. 550+! I explained I'm a lottery winner and needed to shut my house, sell my car etc and the bulk of the 500 days absence, 300+, were in the first year . After that I settled down in the USA. I followed all the rules never broke my permanent residency etc. Really talked up a storm.

She accepted it and now I'm waiting for my oath ceremony.
Click to expand...
Congratulations, I'm so glad for you.
Had you filed your tax return for the statutory period as well?
Did you apply based on 4 years 9 months or waited for the 5 years to be completed?
 
Amiranb said:
Had you filed your tax return for the statutory period as well?
Did you apply based on 4 years 9 months or waited for the 5 years to be completed?
Click to expand...

Hello,

I did my tax for all years since I gained PR using Turbo Tax, but she never wanted to see the IRS statements.

4 Years 9 Months (+ a couple of days)

My first year was risky, because I strategically took a 3 day trip to the USA in 2016 just to keep my residency from being broken. 177 Days outside the country. But you know what - it worked.
 
Hello again,
A quick question, regarding the first year after you got PR, were you out of US for total number of177 days? Or you meant 177 days out again 3 days in and again 177 days out?
My I ask you which country were have you lived for the first year?

Thanks,
 
Congratulations, and thanks for your reply,
How many days after your first landing did you left Us?
And, for the first year which you were not in United States, did you file tax both in Australia and United States?
 
I activated in Hawaii then stayed for about 2 weeks.

Yes you must always file taxes in the USA. Just use Turbo tax and put in a zero.
 
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