naturalization after a break in continuous residence: timing the application

[sodsto 0]

Hi! I'm looking for information around the 4-years-plus-1-day timer before applying for citizenship after a break in residency. I'm over a year away from applying, I'm just lining myself up to make sure I have what I need.

I have a green card, granted in June 2016. Soon after I received that, I took a job I couldn't pass up outside of the US. I definitely broke continuity on my residency (timeline below) but I've been unambiguously employed and living in the US since I returned two and a half years ago. Although I typically have a trip abroad once every couple of months, either for work or to visit family, I've accrued most of the time required to pass the physical presence test already.

Technically I fall into the 4-years-plus-1-day category because I've resumed my residency, but I'm interested in the details therein. I gather that they still actually review the full 5 years prior to the application, but I was out completely in the year prior to returning so I gather that's a bad approach. Is that true? I don't own property nor was I working for a US organization. I did maintain bank accounts, I paid taxes (including California state, so as to not trigger any marks for becoming "non-resident"), and I had my mail directed to a friend's house the entire time I was out.

I've heard also that waiting until 4-years-plus-6-months is a better approach. Do folks have experience with their application in either case? Pointers welcome.

 

My timeline:

• November 2016: I left the US to start that job. I applied for a re-entry permit ahead of time.
• The re-entry permit arrived at the embassy abroad, expiry date set to March 2019. I returned to the US 5 times in this period, all short trips, but never more than six months apart.
• March 2019: I returned to the US to work for 6 months. Aside from two business trips abroad, I was in the US until September 2019.
• October 2019: I took on another job abroad, and again I applied for a re-entry permit ahead of time. The re-entry permit was granted with an end date of September 2021.
• Then, of course, COVID. I didn't travel until I was fully vaccinated in July 2021, so continuity was unambiguously broken. I understand that COVID is not a consideration for the application.
• August 2021: I returned to the US full-time.