Want To Be A Citizen, But In And Out a Lot

S

slyda007

Registered Users (C)
Hello,

With the elections coming up, I would really like to be a citizen very soon so I can vote... unfortunately, I've been in and out of the country a lot because of school.

I've been a resident since 1987 for eight straight years before leaving for school... (I know I should've gotten it then) been in the country now for over a year, but had a business trip out of the country for 4 months...

Is it possible to get my citizenship now? Or will I have to wait again and build up my continuous stay here?

I've left the country roughly five times the past five years... with one trip exceeding 1 year. Most of the time, I'm out of the country for 6-7 months until 2006... Since March 2006, I've settled here with my new job.

Hope someone can shed light to this... If this case is even possible... or will I just have to wait again, which I don't mind doing anyway... was just hoping I can get to vote.

Thank you.


Los Angeles, CA
 
First of all, if your reasoning to be a citizen is want to be able to vote this year, it is too later for you already. Even you submit the application today, the chances are you won't become the citizen until sometime next year under normal circumstance.

Second, if you have broken the continues residency before 2006, you will have to wait until you meet the requirement for residency again before eligible to apply, which will be either three years (for marrage based) or 5 years (GC based), unless that you can show the proof of before 2006, you have maintained the residency even you were aboard, such as leases, bank account, tax return, etc.
 
Without knowing your exact travel dates, it is difficult to speculate. However as a rule of thumb, add 4 years and 1 day from the last time you entered the US after an overseas trip that lasted more than a year.

slyda007 said:
Is it possible to get my citizenship now? Or will I have to wait again and build up my continuous stay here?
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4yrs+1day from the date of your return the last time you broke residence. i.e. your most recent trip over than 6 months duration.

Note: 8.CFR suggests that the 4yr+1day rule only applies to trips longer than 1yr, however there is a USCIS memo supporting its applicability to shorter trips which have broken residence.
 
Yea... just realized it was too late to vote... The last time I was out of the country for more than 6 months was 2005- March 2006...

As far as the bank account goes, I did have one... never paid taxes since I wasn't working, but I was claimed as a dependent... does that count?

Anyway, thank you for everyone's response... I'm in no rush anymore to get my citizenship, although I would love to be a citizen as soon as possible.
 
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My cats don't pay taxes either and I would really like to claim them as a dependent with all the vet bills.

You sure you had no obligation to file taxes regardless if you had income or not?
Hmmm, wouldn't be that sure about that, but I don't really know.
 
If you can put your cats through med school then you can go ahead and try... :)

Had no income... checked with my accountant now... says all is good...
 
Damn buggers are to lazy for that. I always want to drop them off at the bus stop, but they won't get out of bed in time.

Thanks - learned something new.
 
slyda007 said:
Had no income... checked with my accountant now... says all is good...
Click to expand...

You had no income at all, even if it was in a foreign country. As a permanent resident and citizen, you are required to file a US tax return regardless of where you are working. It does get a bit complicated if you are living overseas as you would normally need to file a tax return in that country too and then you need to look at the various tax treaties to avoid being double taxed.

Of course, you may have truly not been working for the year...maybe you were bumming around and traveling :-)

Derek
 
derekleewo said:
You had no income at all, even if it was in a foreign country. As a permanent resident and citizen, you are required to file a US tax return regardless of where you are working.
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There is an income threshold below which citizens and GC holders are not required to file taxes, even if they worked (with income that low they wouldn't owe taxes anyway).
 
Jackolantern said:
There is an income threshold below which citizens and GC holders are not required to file taxes, even if they worked (with income that low they wouldn't owe taxes anyway).
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From reading the OP, I got the impression that he was outside of the US for more than year after finishing school. If he didn't work, then it's OK. I was just wondering if he actually working overseas during the year, and if so, he would have had to file a tax return...assuming as you said, he crossed whatever the threshold is.

That's why I was wondering if he was traveling for the year as some people do after school.
 
Jackolantern said:
There is an income threshold below which citizens and GC holders are not required to file taxes, even if they worked (with income that low they wouldn't owe taxes anyway).
Click to expand...

Put it this way - the IRS may not require you to file a tax return if your income is below a certain level, but that doesn't excuse you from having to file one to meet the USCIS requirement that you always file a return as a non-resident. Being a dependent on someone else's return may be ok, but be prepared to back up your claim with proof.
 
boatbod said:
Put it this way - the IRS may not require you to file a tax return if your income is below a certain level, but that doesn't excuse you from having to file one to meet the USCIS requirement that you always file a return as a non-resident.
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"File a return as a non-resident"? I clearly was only referring to GC holders and citizens, who can't file taxes as a nonresident.
 
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