I got my green card in December 2010, and want to apply for citizenship next September. However, I'm outside US from June to August 2012 and November 2012 to June 2013 (longer than six months) because of school. Moreover, I first applied and got the reentry permit approved in October 2013 since I want to finish my college in my hometown, but I finally decide to suspend school so I never used RP and I will stay in US until I got my citizenship. Can I still apply next year? Or when is the earliest? Thank you.
When can I applied for citizenship?
- Thread starter yayoilee8
- Start date
Jackolantern
Registered Users (C)
Go ahead and apply near the end of next year. They tend to be lenient on students, and if you don't take any other long trips you should be OK as long as you don't get a terribly strict interviewer. Bring to the interview proof that you were studying there, and evidence of your ties to the US during the long trip (e.g. bank account, car, apartment/storage lease).
thank you! So you mean the unused reentry permit won't be a problem? I've only been out of US for the time period I listed, that's about 280 days in five years. I just afraid when I applied and got approved the RP, the five years already been recalculated.
Harry Callahan
Member
A reentry permit is not a problem by itself. They'll just ask you to give your reentry permit back to them along with the green card when you take the oath.
The absence of over six months creates an issue. It means you have to prove you maintained continuous residence (as opposed to them having to prove you did not). If you are prepared to show proof of the temporary nature of your trip abroad and your ties to the US, it should be fine.
The absence of over six months creates an issue. It means you have to prove you maintained continuous residence (as opposed to them having to prove you did not). If you are prepared to show proof of the temporary nature of your trip abroad and your ties to the US, it should be fine.