If my husband gets stationed in Alaska does that qualify as "overseas" to expedite my naturalization?

[Amhara 460]

Don't know the answer, but here are a few things I had pulled up in the past:

• http://photos.state.gov/libraries/italy/19452/public/MilitaryNaturalization1.pdf (doesn't show OCONUS as an option)
• http://statesidelegal.org/citizenship-spouses-servicemembers
• http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c21634.htm (the DoS may be following the same rules as DoD)

[Alaska2012 462]

According to the USCIS we are not overseas up here in AK! When I had my neutralization interview in Anchorage there was a woman there who had an infopass to ask about that, her husband was stationed at JBER and she was told it didn't count as overseas.

[Amhara 460]

I can't find any specific definition for "abroad" according to INA(319(b); however, one of the terms is that you need to be "in the United States at the time of naturalization" - so does that mean you need to return to CONUS for your naturalization ceremony?

• http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/ilink/docView/SLB/HTML/SLB/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-29/0-0-0-9934.html
• http://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume12-PartI-Chapter9.html#S-B
• http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1443a&num=0&edition=prelim

[Harmonia 211]

I can't find any specific definition for "abroad" according to INA(319(b); however, one of the terms is that you need to be "in the United States at the time of naturalization" - so does that mean you need to return to CONUS for your naturalization ceremony?

• http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/ilink/docView/SLB/HTML/SLB/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-29/0-0-0-9934.html
• http://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume12-PartI-Chapter9.html#S-B
• http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1443a&num=0&edition=prelim

The poster right above you said she had her natz interview in Anchorage.

A simple google search also shows news articles about others who did so, as well. Clearly they do NOT need to return to the contiguous US to naturalize. Alaska is the US, even if the military has a different designation.

http://juneauempire.com/local/2013-09-29/32-alaska-residents-sworn-us-citizens

None of these folks had to "return" to the US to get naturalized in the US, which is also Alaska.

You can also naturalize in Hawaii:

http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/field-offices/hawaii-honolulu-field-office

Edited January 8, 2016 by Harmonia

[Boiler 43,564]

When I had my neutralization interview in Anchorage

Ouch

[Alaska2012 462]

Ouch

I can't get my phone to spell neutralization properly for the life of me, my phone has a life of its own...or it really likes messing up my spelling,.....these days I can't be bothered getting on a pc to fix it when it happens. I just figured people would get what I'm talking about anyway...

[Maria2012 16]

I can't get my phone to spell neutralization properly for the life of me, my phone has a life of its own...or it really likes messing up my spelling,.....these days I can't be bothered getting on a pc to fix it when it happens. I just figured people would get what I'm talking about anyway...

Type nat... as in naturalization and the phone magic will happen

[Avery Cates 1,141]

Im confused as to if Alaska qualifies as overseas or not?

Haha no.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

I believe that the confusion is that the military considers t overseas but uscis does not. Uscis likely trumps

[Expat1 971]

LOL no.

Anchorage or Fairbanks?

[Expat1 971]

Alaska, Hawaii are considered as overseas base for military. But for USCIS it's just like any other states

Yep

[Meant2B 8]

​For military it's considered over seas but not sure about USCIS.

[cbwoods 0]

The military has different definitions of overseas than other agencies of the US Government. The link provided by Sweetcheekss above very clearly states the following information in the first paragraph:

Service members, certain veterans of the U.S. armed forces, and certain military family members may be eligible to become citizens of the United States​ ^[1] The “United States” means the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. See INA 101(a)(38). under special provisions of the ​Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)​, to include expedited and overseas processing. ​

​