what to do?

I

ianyu

Registered Users (C)
i am about to apply for naturalization in august after being a resident for 5 years (-90 days). and i have a concern: one of my overseas trips a few years ago was to be just less then 6 months, however, i lost my rtd. it took american embassy and uscis 10 weeks to deal with my situation, check my identity and give me papers to reenter the us. i had my greencard on my but then i did not know one can reenter only on that...and i was in australia, i think they would have not let me board the plane anyhow.
now, my trip extended to about 8.5 months due to waiting for uscis clearance. will i have a problem with naturalization? what should i do now? thanks! advice appreciated.
 
ianyu said:
i am about to apply for naturalization in august after being a resident for 5 years (-90 days). and i have a concern: one of my overseas trips a few years ago was to be just less then 6 months, however, i lost my rtd. it took american embassy and uscis 10 weeks to deal with my situation, check my identity and give me papers to reenter the us. i had my greencard on my but then i did not know one can reenter only on that...and i was in australia, i think they would have not let me board the plane anyhow.
now, my trip extended to about 8.5 months due to waiting for uscis clearance. will i have a problem with naturalization? what should i do now? thanks! advice appreciated.
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What is an rtd?
 
For the interview, bring evidence of your ties to the US during that 8-month trip ... utility bills, bank statements, lease/mortgage, etc. If that is your only long trip and you bring the evidence you should be OK. But don't expect to be approved if this trip was a string of multiple long trips close together, even if the other trips were under 6 months each.
 
thank you. there was another trip of 5 months but like 5 years before that..it really was a family reunion trip to australia. i have been in this process for 14 years... political asylum then residency after many years and now naturalization. i had let go of my lease for the apartment while on that trip though, just because it was financially logical. and i don't think bank statements can be taken out for as long as 5 years in the past. i had no mortgage and no utility bills. i am single, simple life really. and now i am in graduate school, on federal loans. i wonder what else i can use to bring. and you are talking about bringing these things to the interview, right? not sending them in with the application?
much appreciated!
 
If you explain what happened with your RTD, and show paperwork like a police report and other documents from CIS or the consulate/embassy, I'm sure that's strong evidence that you stayed out for longer than 6 months due to reasons beyond your control.
 
ianyu said:
thank you. there was another trip of 5 months but like 5 years before that..it really was a family reunion trip to australia. i have been in this process for 14 years... political asylum then residency after many years and now naturalization. i had let go of my lease for the apartment while on that trip though, just because it was financially logical. and i don't think bank statements can be taken out for as long as 5 years in the past.
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Trips from more than 5 years ago don't affect your continuous residence requirement, although you still have to list all trips of over 24 hours since becoming a permanent resident. How long ago was that 8-month trip?
 
itt was in 2007.i live in san diego and have MANY few hour long trips across the border to Tijuana for supermarket shopping. wonder if i should even mention those?
 
ianyu said:
itt was in 2007.i live in san diego and have MANY few hour long trips across the border to Tijuana for supermarket shopping. wonder if i should even mention those?
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Trips less than 24 hours don't need to be disclosed.
 
i know but they are still in database as when you cross the border they swipe your green card.
 
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