Worked outside US for a year

[rocky]

Hi,

Due to family circumstances I had to move out of US for about a year but continued to make a trip back to the US every 4 months so that I did not lose my continuous stay eligiblity. I also took up a job while I was abroad.

Now I am back in the US and am eligible to apply for my citizenship.

My question is: Will my stay abroad have a negative impact on my chances to obtain my citizenship

Thanks !!

[knowledgeable]

As long as you fulfill the continuous stay requirements and the number of days you're supposed to be in the United States to be able to file for U.S. Citizenship, you're okay.

If the total adds up okay, go ahead and file. Do not file a day sooner than the total number of days you're required to be in the U.S. as per the Naturalization guide.

However, at the same time, do be prepared with justification and documentation on why you had to be outside the country so often and so long. This will be required during your interview.

Good luck.

[nearmsp]

It is a misconception that merely meeting the physical requirements of stay does not break the continous stay requirement. If one is living outside and merely "visiting' the USA at different time intervals, this could raise red flags, particularly if your stay was over 6 months. However you could still sneak, even though by living outside the US you were clearly not a US "resident" at that time. But people who did this for over 2 years (for completing studies) while they maintained strong ties to the US (parents lived here and maintained a home) had no problems.

Hi,

Due to family circumstances I had to move out of US for about a year but continued to make a trip back to the US every 4 months so that I did not lose my continuous stay eligiblity. I also took up a job while I was abroad.

Now I am back in the US and am eligible to apply for my citizenship.

My question is: Will my stay abroad have a negative impact on my chances to obtain my citizenship

Thanks !!

[rocky]

Thanks for your replies.

I will be filing for my citizenship soon !!