Wants to become a US Citizen before we move back to Thailand

[pulteseller 0]

Hello,

My wife is a 10 year green card holder, which she obtained through marriage to me almost 7 years ago. She received her green card in 2008. We spent the last 5 months in Thailand, and the immigration officer in Boston recommended we get a reentry permit next we're out of the US for so long. The immigration also mentioned it might be easier to go ahead and become a US citizen. What we didn't tell the immigration officer is that we are planning on moving to Thailand permanently in May. We always planned on moving to Thailand later in life, but a recent life event has caused us to accelerate our plans. Hence, I was caught off guard with the whole Permanent Resident not really being permanent if you don't stay in the States.

Looking at N400 timelines it could take 6 months to go through the whole process, and our house might already be sold!

My questions are this:

1. Can she become a US citizen while living in Thailand?
2. Can we start the process here, and complete it in Thailand?
3. Is there a way to maintain permanent residence status while living in Thailand full-time?

Thank you,

David

[Shub 78]

Hello,

My wife is a 10 year green card holder, which she obtained through marriage to me almost 7 years ago. She received her green card in 2008. We spent the last 5 months in Thailand, and the immigration officer in Boston recommended we get a reentry permit next we're out of the US for so long. The immigration also mentioned it might be easier to go ahead and become a US citizen. What we didn't tell the immigration officer is that we are planning on moving to Thailand permanently in May. We always planned on moving to Thailand later in life, but a recent life event has caused us to accelerate our plans. Hence, I was caught off guard with the whole Permanent Resident not really being permanent if you don't stay in the States.

Looking at N400 timelines it could take 6 months to go through the whole process, and our house might already be sold!

My questions are this:

• Can she become a US citizen while living in Thailand?
• Can we start the process here, and complete it in Thailand?
• Is there a way to maintain permanent residence status while living in Thailand full-time?

Thank you,

David

1. No, you have to live in the US in order to apply for citizenship.

2. Maybe, but don't quote me on that as I've never looked into it. I would imagine that you would have to return to the US for the biometrics, interview and oath ceremony in any case. Once you become a citizen, your green card is taken away, so I don't know how traveling would work. Of course you can travel to Thailand without a US passport, but I'm not sure what the airport staff will do when you try to leave the country on a Thai passport, no green card and no valid I-94.

3. No, sorry.

For being out of the country for less than 6 months though, I feel like the CBP officer went a little overboard in telling you you should get a re-entry permit.

Travel under 6 months is within acceptable limits, travel over 6 months but less than a year can be problematic in some situations, and travel over one year requires a re-entry permit.

Edited March 5, 2014 by Shub

[christeen 966]

You must process n the USA ... The whole process takes from 4-6 months (depending on your local office you can research here on VJ to see how long they take)... You can start the process then go to Thailand, but she must return for the biometrics and interview... And once naturalized, she will need to get a US passport (you can get them same day expedite with proof of travel from the local office)... But living outside the USA, eventually she will lost her LPR status as she is not living in the USA it wold be considered abandoned..

[Karee 4,190]

Hello,

My wife is a 10 year green card holder, which she obtained through marriage to me almost 7 years ago. She received her green card in 2008. We spent the last 5 months in Thailand, and the immigration officer in Boston recommended we get a reentry permit next we're out of the US for so long. The immigration also mentioned it might be easier to go ahead and become a US citizen. What we didn't tell the immigration officer is that we are planning on moving to Thailand permanently in May. We always planned on moving to Thailand later in life, but a recent life event has caused us to accelerate our plans. Hence, I was caught off guard with the whole Permanent Resident not really being permanent if you don't stay in the States.

Looking at N400 timelines it could take 6 months to go through the whole process, and our house might already be sold!

My questions are this:

1. Can she become a US citizen while living in Thailand?
2. Can we start the process here, and complete it in Thailand?
3. Is there a way to maintain permanent residence status while living in Thailand full-time?

Thank you,

David

1. No. Need to be in the U.S. for the biometrics, interview/test, and oath etc.

2. No. See #1

3. No.

It took us 3 months from start to finish for citizenship. We were somewhat lucky. I'd plan on 4 minimum. It's worth it to wait a couple months for a few reasons.

1. The U.S. passport. She'll be able to travel most places worth traveling without a visa

2. Social Security. I think it's easier to get benefits when she's a U.S. citizen

3. If you change your mind and decide to move back to the U.S. later on, it's no problem at all.

4. If you simply want to travel on occasion to the U.S. while living in Thailand, she wont need a visa. If she moves to Thailand permanently without citizenship, it is considered abandoning permanent residence, and she'll have to apply for a visa like every other Thai.

5. You never have to deal with USCIS again.

#5 was the big one for me.

Citizenship was the easiest part of the whole process in my opinion.

[Hypnos 6,576]

No to all three.

You should file the N-400 immediately.

[Ning 619]

1. No. Need to be in the U.S. for the biometrics, interview/test, and oath etc.

2. No. See #1

3. No.

It took us 3 months from start to finish for citizenship. We were somewhat lucky. I'd plan on 4 minimum. It's worth it to wait a couple months for a few reasons.

1. The U.S. passport. She'll be able to travel most places worth traveling without a visa

2. Social Security. I think it's easier to get benefits when she's a U.S. citizen

3. If you change your mind and decide to move back to the U.S. later on, it's no problem at all.

4. If you simply want to travel on occasion to the U.S. while living in Thailand, she wont need a visa. If she moves to Thailand permanently without citizenship, it is considered abandoning permanent residence, and she'll have to apply for a visa like every other Thai.

5. You never have to deal with USCIS again.

#5 was the big one for me.

Citizenship was the easiest part of the whole process in my opinion.

I became a U S citizen just a few months back. I agree with Karee.

Becoming a U S citizen is a dream come true for myself and my daughter so I cant imagine why anyone wouldn't want to do it. Even if things change in the future I will never give up mine.

[pulteseller 0]

Thanks for all the replies. It's apparent we need to do this (N400) quickly.

One follow up question:

Suppose we go to Thailand for 5 years and she loses her green card status. Do we have to go through the whole green card nightmare to get her back in the US (peramanently)? Or is there some kind of easier reinstatement?

I know, hoping for an easy way out with the US Government is wishful thinking...

[christeen 966]

Thanks for all the replies. It's apparent we need to do this (N400) quickly.

One follow up question:

Suppose we go to Thailand for 5 years and she loses her green card status. Do we have to go through the whole green card nightmare to get her back in the US (peramanently)? Or is there some kind of easier reinstatement?

I know, hoping for an easy way out with the US Government is wishful thinking...

Yes, you would have to go,through the whole IR1 process again... Get the citizenship, save yourself the hassle...

[Shub 78]

Thanks for all the replies. It's apparent we need to do this (N400) quickly.

One follow up question:

Suppose we go to Thailand for 5 years and she loses her green card status. Do we have to go through the whole green card nightmare to get her back in the US (peramanently)? Or is there some kind of easier reinstatement?

I know, hoping for an easy way out with the US Government is wishful thinking...

You would have to start the process from zero, although it would (or at least could) be different from when you first did it. The first time you did it was a K-1, but now that you are married, you can apply for an IR-1 visa which would automatically confer your wife the status of legal permanent resident in the US upon entering the country.

[Jamnan_n_Steve 17]

Your spouses ten-year residence (five years required) allows her Social Security Survivor benefits to be paid to her in Thailand when she turns sixty (otherwise it can be paid only in the U.S. unless she is a citizen).

Citizenship gives more assurance that a future congress doesn't decide to cut spouses of expats benefits such has happened to British widows.

Not sure of your relative ages but I would consider it irresponsible to leave such an important benefit at risk and have my twenty year younger wife surviving on the Thai 500 baht old age pension.

Your spouses ten-year residence (five years required) allows her Social Security Survivor benefits to be paid to her in Thailand when she turns sixty (otherwise it can be paid only in the U.S. unless she is a citizen).

Citizenship gives more assurance that a future congress doesn't decide to cut spouses of expats benefits such has happened to British widows.

Not sure of your relative ages but I would consider it irresponsible to leave such an important benefit at risk and have my twenty year younger wife surviving on the Thai 500 baht old age pension.

[Karee 4,190]

I became a U S citizen just a few months back. I agree with Karee.

Becoming a U S citizen is a dream come true for myself and my daughter so I cant imagine why anyone wouldn't want to do it. Even if things change in the future I will never give up mine.

Right after my wife took the oath, I told her there's a bus waiting outside to send her to basic training and then off to Afghanistan.

[pulteseller 0]

Thanks for the replies everyone! We'll be submitting N400 tomorrow!

[Ning 619]

Thanks for all the replies. It's apparent we need to do this (N400) quickly.

One follow up question:

Suppose we go to Thailand for 5 years and she loses her green card status. Do we have to go through the whole green card nightmare to get her back in the US (peramanently)? Or is there some kind of easier reinstatement?

I know, hoping for an easy way out with the US Government is wishful thinking...

May be too late but I have a suggestion.

If she had G C she could at the right time, return it to USCIS, then apply for a tourist visa. They would probably grant a 10 year visa because she has demonstrated she has no intent to live in the USA.

Otherwise you have to begin at ground zero again.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Ning