When can I apply for citizenship?

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chelseaqy

Registered Users (C)
When can I apply for citizenship -
Got greencard in 10/2005. Continuous residence (never left US) in 10/2005 - 06/2009. I plan to work overseas starting 07/2009. Technically I can apply for citizenship in 07/2010, but from 07/2009 - 07/2010 I won't be in the US. I can come back for a couple of week to meet the "no absence longer than 6 months" requirement. Can I still apply in 07/2010? If not, what else do I need to do to qualify? Thanks!
 
You can be denied for having multiple back-to-back trips even if each individual trip is under 6 months. It makes things worse if you've accepted overseas employment with a non-US corporation. If you apply right away after returning from those long trips, it creates the impression that you've already moved abroad for good and you're just coming back for a short while to handle naturalization. If I were you I'd wait at least 6-12 months after ending overseas employment.

However, if the overseas work is for a US employer, you may be able to obtain an N-470 which would preserve your continuous residence for naturalization purposes while you work abroad.
 
Jackolantern said:
You can be denied for having multiple back-to-back trips even if each individual trip is under 6 months. It makes things worse if you've accepted overseas employment with a non-US corporation. If you apply right away after returning from those long trips, it creates the impression that you've already moved abroad for good and you're just coming back for a short while to handle naturalization. If I were you I'd wait at least 6-12 months after ending overseas employment.

However, if the overseas work is for a US employer, you may be able to obtain an N-470 which would preserve your continuous residence for naturalization purposes while you work abroad.
Click to expand...


Jacko..can you elaborate on this?? he will reach the 30 months of continuous residence and he won't take any trip over 6 months, it seems to me he is not breaking any requirement in order to get the citizenship....

Guacho
 
Continuous residence is a subjective decision. You are not automatically safe if you keep each trip under 6 months, and having a trip over 6 months is not an automatic denial. A few people here have been denied for multiple back-to-back trips even though all individual trips were under 6 months. And the USCIS manual shows an example of denial for breaking continuous residence without any single trip over 6 months.

See http://forums.immigration.com/showthread.php?p=2024756#post2024756
 
Excellent link Jackolantern !! I just saved it, according to what I read he should be able to get his citizenship if he :

1. lives in tne US for 30 months before applying
2. dont take any trip over 6 months
3. Lives in the US from the time he applies for the N400 to the time he becames US citizen.

Guacho
 
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