Study abroad

[love2win 1]

Hello VJ Family,

I have been a PR since 03-04-09 and based on that I will be able file for naturalization on 12-05-11 (90 days prior). I have lived in the US the whole time but I have a huge dilemma right now, I will be leaving the country for internship in Africa from June to September. Then after my internship, I will be starting my masters in London in October. I will be able to come back every 3 months if I have to because I really do not want to restart the entire PR card process.

This is my plan:

Leave the US in June for my internship: June to September: 4 months

Come back to the US in September for 2 weeks ( which means I will be out of the US for only 4 months)

Start my masters in London in October: 5th months.

Come back to the US for winter break and apply for the naturalization.

Then leave in January for school.

Obviously, this plan will require me to come back several times after winter break. My friends are telling me to just keep coming back every 4 to 5 months until I finish my masters this will take one year lasting from October to October then I will apply for the naturalization.

What should I do? What is the best and most effective way? Is this the only way to maintain my PR and not break the residency and be able to apply for naturalization? I don't want to be stranded away from my wife and kids. SO please give me your thoughts and ideas.

Last question: Will going abroad with my family will make re-entry easier? or would it be better for them to stay in order for me to proof that I still have ties to the USA?

Thank you very much!!!

[NickD 203]

Hello VJ Family,

I have been a PR since 03-04-09 and based on that I will be able file for naturalization on 12-05-11 (90 days prior). I have lived in the US the whole time but I have a huge dilemma right now, I will be leaving the country for internship in Africa from June to September. Then after my internship, I will be starting my masters in London in October. I will be able to come back every 3 months if I have to because I really do not want to restart the entire PR card process.

This is my plan:

Leave the US in June for my internship: June to September: 4 months

Come back to the US in September for 2 weeks ( which means I will be out of the US for only 4 months)

Start my masters in London in October: 5th months.

Come back to the US for winter break and apply for the naturalization.

Then leave in January for school.

Obviously, this plan will require me to come back several times after winter break. My friends are telling me to just keep coming back every 4 to 5 months until I finish my masters this will take one year lasting from October to October then I will apply for the naturalization.

What should I do? What is the best and most effective way? Is this the only way to maintain my PR and not break the residency and be able to apply for naturalization? I don't want to be stranded away from my wife and kids. SO please give me your thoughts and ideas.

Last question: Will going abroad with my family will make re-entry easier? or would it be better for them to stay in order for me to proof that I still have ties to the USA?

Thank you very much!!!

Could download and study http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/attachments.pdf to answer your questions about being out of the country. Really don't feel it makes any difference how anyone of us feels about you taking your family with you, it depends on what your particular IO thinks at your interview.

My own personal opinion that doesn't amount to much, if I wanted to study in the UK and maintain family life, would consider having my family applying for immigration in the UK rather than me trying to immigrate here. Its not that we don't have plenty of excellent schools here, but maybe you are getting a better break in tuition payments in the UK. If your education requires that you be board certified, best to do that in the state in are planning on living in. Not easy switching from state to state.

Another option is to hang on for another 16 months or so and get your US citizenship, this is your decision. My step-daughter wants to go to the UK for one semester, her mom and I feel that is an excellent idea for her to broaden her horizons. But just a tad bit curious as to how much it is going to cost us.

[warlord 73]

This is my plan:

Leave the US in June for my internship: June to September: 4 months

Come back to the US in September for 2 weeks ( which means I will be out of the US for only 4 months)

Start my masters in London in October: 5th months.

Come back to the US for winter break and apply for the naturalization.

Then leave in January for school.

You do realize that coming back for short durations do nothing to preserve residency if you are not living in the US? You need to reside in the US with proof. Coming back without any documentation is not residency and short trips back to the US won't cut it.

I don't know if there's any provisions for being a student, but the internship is what really sets off a red-flag. Is it a US based company? If not, then that could be a killer of your residency status right there...

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

You are trying to abuse your Green Card as a tourist visa. In the computer age, I'm quite sure that won't work. And, if I maybe frank, it shouldn't.

[love2win 1]

Please I help me with advice not by judging me. I received a very scholarship that's why I have to go. I have a very good job in the us plan to come back after my one year masters, I just don't want to restart the clock. Please understand my hands are tied. I could apply for a reentry permit but that will restart my clock. I will be maintaining residency bank accounts since my family will stay here.

Thank you

[love2win 1]

Hello VJ Family,

I have been a PR since 03-04-09 and based on that I will be able file for naturalization on 12-05-11 (90 days prior). I have lived in the US the whole time but I have a huge dilemma right now, I will be starting my masters in London in October. I will be able to come back every 3 months if I have to because I really do not want to restart the entire PR card process. If I apply the reentry permit, I won't be bale apply for citizanship until I 3 years after my masters.

T

I don't want to loose this scholarship, so I will be leaving the us in September of 2011, masters starts in October, 3 months later I will be able to applys for cityzenship, my wife will mail the papers, then I will fly in for the biometrics, then leave for school them come back for the interview and oath.

What should I do? What is the best and most effective way? Is this the only way to maintain my PR and not break the residency and be able to apply for naturalization? I don't want to be stranded away from my wife and kids. SO please give me your thoughts and ideas.

FYI: my family will stay here and will maintain my credit cards bills etc...

Has anyone this before?

Please don't judge, or tell me that Im immoral just help me with advice.

Thank you very much!!!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I have been a PR since 03-04-09 and based on that I will be able file for naturalization on 12-05-11 (90 days prior). I will be starting my masters in London in October.

I don't want to loose this scholarship, so I will be leaving the us in September of 2011, masters starts in October, 3 months later I will be able to applys for cityzenship, my wife will mail the papers, then I will fly in for the biometrics, then leave for school them come back for the interview and oath.

What should I do? What is the best and most effective way? Is this the only way to maintain my PR and not break the residency and be able to apply for naturalization? I don't want to be stranded away from my wife and kids. SO please give me your thoughts and ideas.

FYI: my family will stay here and will maintain my credit cards bills etc...

Has anyone this before?

Sounds like your plan is a good one. Don't really know the requirements for naturalization so maybe someone else with more experience can tell you more but to me looks like your plan is okay.

[JoannaV 174]

As you are only going to be away temporarily for a year you should be fine. When you travel bring proof of the Masters course you are on (with dates) and also that your family is still living in your US residence. It should be entirely obvious that you have not in any way abandoned your US residence. If on one of your trips back to the US you are given grief at the POE don't let it bother you, and don't listen to any suggestion that you should abandon your green card.

I don't entirely know how this will impact on you applying for naturalization at the same time. Note that you will have to write on the form that you are currently studying in London. (So, they will probably ask you about that at the interview and you will have to be entirely open and honest and provide proof that this is entirely a temporary thing.)

[JoannaV 174]

Please I help me with advice not by judging me. I received a very scholarship that's why I have to go. I have a very good job in the us plan to come back after my one year masters, I just don't want to restart the clock. Please understand my hands are tied. I could apply for a reentry permit but that will restart my clock. I will be maintaining residency bank accounts since my family will stay here.

Thank you

Get a letter from your employer showing that you will return to your job.

Applying for a Reentry Permit does not in itself restart your clock, it is staying out of the US for more than 1 year that does that. (Or rather, would mean you'd need to wait another 2 years and 1 day.)

Is there any reason why you need to apply for citizenship as soon as possible, or could you wait until you were back working in the US at the end of 2012? (That way, you wouldn't have to buy plane tickets at short notice in order to make your biometrics, interview, oath and probably miss some college time whilst doing so.)

[warlord 73]

Get a letter from your employer showing that you will return to your job.

Applying for a Reentry Permit does not in itself restart your clock, it is staying out of the US for more than 1 year that does that. (Or rather, would mean you'd need to wait another 2 years and 1 day.)

Is there any reason why you need to apply for citizenship as soon as possible, or could you wait until you were back working in the US at the end of 2012? (That way, you wouldn't have to buy plane tickets at short notice in order to make your biometrics, interview, oath and probably miss some college time whilst doing so.)

I think they want to get the citizenship so they don't get their time clock reset. Though not sure any IO will give someone a pass for citizenship when they aren't living in the US at the time and are working outside the US.

I don't know how internships work in regards to the INS. It very well could be lumped into any job outside the US that doesn't have a US base. No clue. But either way, it pretty much seems like the clock very well could get reset and like JoannaV stated, at least waiting you would save a lot of money and hectic last min plans. Many people have been notified just a day before the interview and Oath, and missing it could cause a lot more problems...

[Otto 83]

** Duplicate/Parallel topics merged into a single thread - topic may appear out of sync because of this (both the OP's posts left intact since there are slight differences/points). Should appear in US Citizenship General Discussion

Edited October 7, 2010 by Otto

[love2win 1]

Sorry for the dup.

I want to apply for the citizenship because I dont want to start the clock again, and I want to serve in the peace-corps later on etc... I waited 2 and half years, trust me if I had the choice I would stay and just get it done, but this masters is a one time opportunity.

I will not be doing the internship anymore, I will remain in the US until my masters start in October. I will leave in september, come the first week of december, my wife will send the papers, then as soon as she gets the biometrics, I will fly in for the biometrics (I will be out of the country for only 3 months). After the biometrics, II will go back to london and will fly back to the US for the interview like around february march.

Technically, I will be out of the country from September to the beginning of December (3 months), I will be in the US for winter break. Then I will be out of the county from January to "until the the interview" (2 to 3 months after the early biometrics in december)

The only fear that I have right now, is that, are they going to count out all of those days out of the country from my 3 years LPR? meaning I will have to wait longer? I have resided in the us since I got my green card expect I was backpacking for 3 months (vacation) last year.

My questions is: will they subtract from 3 years LPR all of the day I have been out of the country?

THank you very much!

[Darnell 8,478]

I would give up any 'time clock' for the '3 years to citizenship' plan -

as USCIS will evaluate yer 'time out of country' when you are applying for citizenship.

coupla months outside USA each year? Not a problem.

couple weeks inside USA each year? Sorry, big problem.

Suggest you pitch that '3 year plan' and instead, concentrate on yer educational plan, then once yer back in USA with masters degree in hand, make new plan for filing for US Citizenship.

Edited October 7, 2010 by Darnell

[love2win 1]

What do you mean ? Pitch that 3 year plan,

if I wait until im done with my masters in that case I will be out of the country for 1 year but I will be flying back in the us every 3 to 4 month., I will be out of the country for a long period of time so my questions is: will they subtract all of the time spent out of the country from the 3 years LPR? if they do subtract all of the days I spent out of the county, I won't be eligible for naturalization right?

so if I apply in december, and do my interview in february or march, I will have to declare that I was out of the country from October to december then from january to march right? I can even probably say that I was on Vacation but will they subtract 3 years - 3 months -3 month?

Thank you sorry for my english and asking too many questions.

I would give up any 'time clock' for the '3 years to citizenship' plan -

as USCIS will evaluate yer 'time out of country' when you are applying for citizenship.

coupla months outside USA each year? Not a problem.

couple weeks inside USA each year? Sorry, big problem.

Suggest you pitch that '3 year plan' and instead, concentrate on yer educational plan, then once yer back in USA with masters degree in hand, make new plan for filing for US Citizenship.

[Darnell 8,478]

in this context, 'pitch' = discard.