Naturalization with absence more than 6 months (combined trips)

[meddeb]

Hello guys,

Please I'll need your advice.

So I've been a US resident since Feb 10 2017.

I'm allowed to early file my N400 form today.

I started the filing process this morning and looks like the total days I spent outside of the US is 204 days (so more than 6 months).

here the dates of my trips:

12/16/17 - 1/1/18 (16)
8/11/18 - 9/1/2018 (21)
5/17/19 - 6/21/19 (35)
11/28/19 - 3/12/20 (105) ( was forced to go home , family emergency reason, I resigned from my work but before leaving the country I applied for the reentry permit and got it )
12/15/20 - 1/9/21 (25)
5/15/21 - 8/25/21 (9)

All my taxes were filled as PR each year + Bank account is maintained

I filed the N400 today (during the process, the system asked me for the N470 form , however I've never applied for it).

According to your experience, do you think I did break the continuous residence rule?

Thank you in advance

[Enub4]

From what I see you don't have any trip lasting more than 180 days.

From what I read on the 5-year rule, you can have trips up to 900 days, so 204 days is not bad.

[meddeb]

Yes that’s true, the longest one was 105 days and was mainly for family reason.
Please can you share a link for the 900 days? I couldn’t find it.

thank you for your time ????

[SouthBay2019]

Yes that’s true, the longest one was 105 days and was mainly for family reason.
Please can you share a link for the 900 days? I couldn’t find it.

thank you for your time ????

Please see if below link helps:

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/continuous-residence-and-physical-presence-requirements-for-naturalization

Physical Presence

Applicants are required to show that they were:

• Physically present in the U.S. for thirty months within the five year period before applying, or (see legal basis)

[meddeb]

Thank you much.

So I think I qualify very well for this requirement.

my only concern now is with the fact that the total days I spent outside the US is more than 180 days.

[SouthBay2019]

Thank you much.

So I think I qualify very well for this requirement.

my only concern now is with the fact that the total days I spent outside the US is more than 180 days.

I think you are fine. You did not have any single trip that was more than 6 months.

I am tagging Enub4 for his feedback.

[meddeb]

Thank you so much.

Enub4 : any feedback please?

[Enub4]

Thank you much.

So I think I qualify very well for this requirement.

my only concern now is with the fact that the total days I spent outside the US is more than 180 days.

There is no problem for travel abroad for less than 180 days. Only if you travel for more than 180 days (in 1 trip) you can have issues. If you read the information here:

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/citizenship-and-naturalization/a-guide-to-naturalization

and especially this chapter:

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/chapter4.pdf

you can read that GC holders for 5 years can apply for naturalization if they lived in the USA for at least 30 months and without traveling outside of the USA for trips of more than 180 days (these are single trips lasting more than 180 days). So the 180 days restriction does not apply to you.

I hope this is clear.

[meddeb]

thank you so much. So I’m gonna ahead and submit my application ..

thanks again ☺️

[johnvan]

I recently naturalized and had a lot more time out of the country. I think it was around 450 days with the longest trip around 90 days. They weren’t too concerned and didn’t ask many questions about my travel.

[meddeb]

Thank you much johnvan - Congrats ☺️