URGENT : One trip greater than 6 months. Do i need to submit proof with the application ?

[psamprat]

Hi All,

I have one trip greater than 6 months outside of the US. The guide mentions that i need to submit pay stubs...etc along with the application. I do not have pay stubs . so is it ok to submit the application without any supporting document and deal with it during the interview ?

 

[kruz_patz]

I think you have broken residency ....... but sitll read the guide thoroughly what documents it's asking to submit and whether you are eligible if at all you have made a trip more than 6 months.....what are the eligibility criteria ......... ? ? ?

 

[faysal]

Hi All,

I have one trip greater than 6 months outside of the US. The guide mentions that i need to submit pay stubs...etc along with the application. I do not have pay stubs . so is it ok to submit the application without any supporting document and deal with it during the interview ?

I have never seen anything suggesting pay stubs or anything like that: My understand is that: you have to disclose all trips on your application. If the trip is less than six months; no problem. if the trip is more than six months and less than a year, you will have to wait 5 years + whatever months more than six months; if the trip was more than a year, you will have to start over.

In your case, let us say you were out for a trip for 8 months, then you will have to apply after five years and eigth months...
good luck

 

[Bobsmyth]

I have never seen anything suggesting pay stubs or anything like that: My understand is that: you have to disclose all trips on your application. If the trip is less than six months; no problem. if the trip is more than six months and less than a year, you will have to wait 5 years + whatever months more than six months; if the trip was more than a year, you will have to start over.

In your case, let us say you were out for a trip for 8 months, then you will have to apply after five years and eigth months...
good luck

Wrong.

For trips more than 6 months but less than 12 months the applicant is only presumed to have broken continuous residency and is given the chance to prove otherwise. Pay stubs are listed in the document checklist in the guide as evidence to submit for such trips. In the OP's case, he/she can bring the pay stub to interview instead of submitting them.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/M-476.pdf

 

[Jackolantern]

I have never seen anything suggesting pay stubs or anything like that: My understand is that: you have to disclose all trips on your application. If the trip is less than six months; no problem.

That is not always true, because multiple consecutive trips of under 6 months each can be a problem.

 

[baikal3]

I have never seen anything suggesting pay stubs or anything like that: My understand is that: you have to disclose all trips on your application. If the trip is less than six months; no problem. if the trip is more than six months and less than a year, you will have to wait 5 years + whatever months more than six months; if the trip was more than a year, you will have to start over.

In your case, let us say you were out for a trip for 8 months, then you will have to apply after five years and eigth months...
good luck

That's really bad and incorrect advice. Faysal;, please stop giving people incorrect advice before learning the rules yourself, you are doing more harm than good even if your intention is to help.

As Bobsmyth said, a trip between 6 months and 1 year in duration is only presumed to have broken continuous residency, but such presumption may be overcome if the applicant convinces the IO at the interview otherwise. This point is explicitly discussed in the Guide to Naturalization (on page 22 and in the Document Checklist).

On the other hand, trips under 6 months may also cause a problem, e.g. if there is a significant number of such trips with relatively short periods of stay in the U.S. in between them; such a situation may also cause a problem, both with continuous residency and with maintaining a permanent resident status.

To the OP: if you are in a pinch, the yes, it is OK to bring the supporting documents regarding the over 6 months trip to the interview rather than to attach them to the application. The IO is not going to look at the case in detail before the interview, and it is during the interview that you'll need to convince the IO that your trip did not break the continuous residency requirement.

If you don't have paystubs, you may use other supporting documents, such as tax return transcripts, bank statements, mortgage or rental statements etc. You'll also need to explain the purpose of your trip and why it was strictly temporary in nature. If you had kept your job and were on a leave of absence, a letter from the employer to that effect would be useful.

 

[psamprat]

thanks all for the advive. appreciate it.

 

[warlord]

Yes the general thing is under 6 months the IO will have to prove that you broke continous residency. After 6 months you have to prove to the IO that you did not break continous residency.

There is no hard line of 6 months for safety at all. All it means on who has responsibility for proving the continous residency or not...