question regarding move + U.S. citizenship

B

bd37703

Registered Users (C)
Hi,

My wife and I got Green cards in January 2002. My wife is a British citizen (British passport) and I'm an Indian citizen.

We are planning on moving to England for 3 years and return to the U.S.

Question: When we come back to the U.S. do we have to live here 5 years before we can apply for a U.S. citizenship or does the 2 years (Jan 2002 - Jan 2004) that we spent here count towards the 5 years?

Any pointers would be much appreciated!

bd
 
The Bad News is..
Unfortunately you lose those two years..

The Good News is..
You still get credit for one year!

If you are absent from the country for over 2 years, I think you /spouse may have problems retaining your Green Card.

I am yet to hear of a case where a reentry is issued for over 2 years.

Do take a reentry permit, and visit the US *ATLEAST* once in 2 years.

Assuming you leave the country for over a year with a reentry, the *EARLIEST* you can apply is 4 years and 1 day from your date of return, assuming you dont leave again for over a year...
 
Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes

Hi There

There used to be this form:

If you were eligible for extended absence benefits, you could file a Form N-470 which is an "Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes". This would exempt you form the continuous residence requirement but not the physical presence requirement.

I would see if it still exists and see if you are eligible. This allows you to use those 3 years out of the country for your continuous residency, but you will still need to have the 30 months physical presence to apply for your citizenship...

Ratrat
 
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