Spouse of US Citizen Stationed Abroad, Applied for Naturalization, Green Card Worries

[dwboulware]

Hi! My spouse was granted a Green Card in August 2024. We then applied for his naturalization in October 2024 on the basis that I am his US citizen spouse working for a US company stations abroad. (note: this situation means that we don't have a waiting period or need to live in the US before applying for naturalization). The naturalization application still has not been processed fully, but the USCIS portal online shows that the application is still within normal timelines. Our worry now is that my spouse has been out of the country (living with me while I am stationed abroad working for a US company), and we know there are potential repercussions for being outside of the country for more than 12 months related to Green Card retention. We are looking for advice on what to do. *** we see it, there are a few options: 1. Do nothing and let the Naturalization application be concluded. Our worry with this is that they won't let him into the country for the final immigration interview if the process goes beyond August. 2. Go to the US for a tick-in-the-box trip. 3. Go to the US and apply for a 2-year extensions. Our worry with this is that the timeline isn't very clear, and this is a costly prospect. 4. Apply for some kind of waiver/extension at the US Consulate. Note: We live in South Africa. Does anyone have any experience with this, advice or other suggestions? We are pretty worried - even if he loses the Green Card, future ability to get a spousal/visitor visa are of concern.