Working abroad for less than 6 months when citizenship application is pending

[Desi4ever]

I will be eligible to apply for US citizenship in July 2009. I attended Rajiv's conference call and he said its OK to leave US for less than 6 months when the citizenship application is in process. However he cautioned that the applicant have a home in the US.

Say the application processing time takes about 6 months and I go abroad and return to US within 6 months. I maintain my credit cards, bank accounts, file taxes as resident etc

Can I take up employment abroad within the 6 month window ? I'm asking this from a practical standpoint and not to cheat system. My US employer is very unlikely to give me a 6 month leave of absence or let me work from abroad. Also to make ends meet I will have to work overseas. Basically I want to quit my job after I apply for my citizenship, work overseas less than 6 months , come back for FP /oath as required. Is this feasible ?

 

[Jackolantern]

Should not be a problem if it is a contract with a max length of under six months, and not something like 5 months repeated 3 or 4 times. And when you show up for the interview, your work abroad should be done ... if you give the interviewer the impression that you're going to go away on another six month stint after the interview, or at the oath it becomes obvious by your extra trips that you did such a thing, your chances won't be good.