Reentry permit and Application to preserve residency

[ItsoFototo]

Hi everybody,

Please, help me figure out what to do. It's been 1 year and 8 months since I got my GC, so I have to wait 3 years and few months more until I become eligible for citizenship. For this past 1 year and 8 months, I went back to my country twice, The first time for 4 months and the second time for 5 months. Between the two trips, I stayed in the US for 8 months. The reason I stayed there for so long is because my father fell ill. Now, I just came back to the US, but I need to be there with my father and my family. So, I'm considering the possibilities of leaving for my home country again.

I guess one safe way to do it is to get the reentry permit. That's just to make sure they'll let me in when I come back to the US, but I'm also concern about not breaking my continuos residency. So, my questions to you guys are:

1. If I get the reentry permit, does that automatically breaks my continuos residency even if I don't stay outside of the US for more than 6 months?

2. Even if I stay outside the US for less than 6 months, since there will be only 3-4 months between the two trip, will that count as two separate trip and not break the continuos residency?

3. There is a document called Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes (form N-470). Some people recommend getting it along with the Reentry permit. I'm not quite sure, though, if anybody can get it and under what circumstances. The instructions of the form say that it's for people who work for a US company abroad or a religious institution. I don't do either. So, is this document restricted to only those two categories or can I get it too?

Thanks a lot

 

[cafeconleche]

1. No. If you never use it, it never comes up.
2. That is up to the officer during the interview, and you will have to chance to show you did not break continuous residency by showing ties to the US. Will you have a house/car/etc. here the whole time? What about work?
3. You must have lived in the US as an LPR for 1 full year, with NO absences during that year. You also must have a job that fulfills certain criteria (US corporation, etc.).

 

[ItsoFototo]

Thanks for your answer, cafeconleche. I don't own a house (I rent), I have an old car, I don't have a family here, and my job is freelance. I guess all that is to my disadvantage. But why should that affect the time of my absence? If I stay here 3-4 months between the two trips, that's 3-4 months.

So, I can't do the Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes (form N-470)? I haven't been here as a LPR a whole year continuously and most likely I won't be working for a US company in my home country.

Thanks again

 

[Jackolantern]

Thanks for your answer, cafeconleche. I don't own a house (I rent), I have an old car, I don't have a family here, and my job is freelance. I guess all that is to my disadvantage. But why should that affect the time of my absence? If I stay here 3-4 months between the two trips, that's 3-4 months.

If each trip is under 6 months, and there are 3-4 months in between trips, it's unlikely to be seen as a break in continuous residence.

However, they look at the whole picture, not just one or two trips. Negative factors such as working abroad without an N-470, or not owning or renting a house/apartment in the US while abroad could count against you and lead to an unfavorable decision. Ultimately it's a subjective decision so we can't reliably predict what the interviewer will do, although I don't expect your stated travel plan to result in denial.

So, I can't do the Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes (form N-470)? I haven't been here as a LPR a whole year continuously and most likely I won't be working for a US company in my home country.

You said you're a freelancer; you have to be an employee of a qualified entity to be eligible for the N-470.