US Citizenship

[Bubble12]

Thank you for my previous questions reply. ANother question, I was reading in the forum that if you have gap between your employment then it will asked during your interview.

I have about almost a year gap between employment because I went back home then I stayed with my brother. Do I need to get a affidavit of support from my brother or I will need to show my bank statements that I was able to support myself even though I did not work for almost a year during 5 year Permanent Residency.

Please advice.

Thanks. I am learning alot from this forum. Very good, informative forum

 

[boatbod]

Thank you for my previous questions reply. ANother question, I was reading in the forum that if you have gap between your employment then it will asked during your interview.

I have about almost a year gap between employment because I went back home then I stayed with my brother. Do I need to get a affidavit of support from my brother or I will need to show my bank statements that I was able to support myself even though I did not work for almost a year during 5 year Permanent Residency.

Please advice.

Thanks. I am learning alot from this forum. Very good, informative forum

There is no requirement to be employed for any or all of the residency period while you are waiting to apply for citizenship. The main reasons USCIS ask for employment history is because it can be useful supporting evidence to back up other claims you may make on your N-400.

Specifically:-
i. For employment-based GC, USCIS wants to know if you ever worked for your GC sponsor, and if not, they will often ask during interview.

ii. Does the employment location & duration seem consistent with residency claims?

Now its easy to pick holes in either of these providing 100% solid proof either for or against the other data, but in conjunction with everything else, it does help build a consistent picture.

So in short, no, its unlikely you will be specifically questioned about an employment absence, however if you were abroad for a long period, that topic may well come up.

 

[brb2]

Since your were not living in the US for a period exceeding 6 months during your green car period, In your case USCIS requires you to send proof of employment, paystubs, IRS transcripts along with your application form. Here are the relevant instructions from USCIS:
"If you have taken any trip outside the United States that lasted six months or more since becoming a Permanent Resident, send
evidence that you (and your family) continued to live, work and/or keep ties to the United States, such as:
An IRS tax return “transcript” or an IRS-certified tax return listing tax information for the last five years (or for the last three years
if you are applying on the basis of marriage to a U.S. citizen).
Rent or mortgage payments and pay stubs."
Assuming you did not send this material with your application, you are highly likely to be asked to present proof of the above.

Thank you for my previous questions reply. ANother question, I was reading in the forum that if you have gap between your employment then it will asked during your interview.

I have about almost a year gap between employment because I went back home then I stayed with my brother. Do I need to get a affidavit of support from my brother or I will need to show my bank statements that I was able to support myself even though I did not work for almost a year during 5 year Permanent Residency.

Please advice.

Thanks. I am learning alot from this forum. Very good, informative forum

 

[Bubble12]

Even though I did not work for almost a year, I was only out of the country for 179 days and rest of the time I stayed with my brother in USA.
Also, Boatbod replied saying that during the interview the IO wants to make sure with whom (employer) you got your GC, you worked for them after the GC. I did work for them for a very short period of time, then left for home and then stayed with my brother. Will that cause a problem? After I went back to work force I was doing the same job as I did with my previous employer who got me the GC.

Answer would be appreciated.

 

[brb2]

"living" here does not necessarily mean living overseas and make periodic "visits" to the US to circumvent the 180 day rule. In spirit of the rule, you hav violated the 180 days rule because you were not "living" in the US for a year.

Even though I did not work for almost a year, I was only out of the country for 179 days and rest of the time I stayed with my brother in USA.
Also, Boatbod replied saying that during the interview the IO wants to make sure with whom (employer) you got your GC, you worked for them after the GC. I did work for them for a very short period of time, then left for home and then stayed with my brother. Will that cause a problem? After I went back to work force I was doing the same job as I did with my previous employer who got me the GC.

Answer would be appreciated.

 

[boatbod]

"living" here does not necessarily mean living overseas and make periodic "visits" to the US to circumvent the 180 day rule. In spirit of the rule, you hav violated the 180 days rule because you were not "living" in the US for a year.

...but he says he was only out of the country for 179 days. The rest of the time he was in the US living with his brother. There was no mention of repeat trips etc.

The impression I get from this case is the OP made one long, but (just) less than 6 month trip abroad, then returned to the US, where he lived with his brother for a while before resuming employment. If this is the case, I really don't see any problems unless there is something we're not being told.

 

[Bubble12]

Thank you Boatbod for clarifying. I have only taken one extended trip which lasted for 179 days. I have taken other trips but they were for shorter period of time. But the real question I have is that after I got my GC I took the long trip then came back to USA and worked for the same employer who got me the GC for just couple of months then I stayed at home with my brother before I got another job which was about a year later.

Question I have is that will this cause a problem with IO because I did not work for the same employer for a year who got me the GC.

Thanks.

 

[boatbod]

Understand the question, and still think you shouldn't have much of a problem. Maybe a question or two why you left your original employer after such a short time, but providing you have solid answers, you'll be ok.