ericshoot

Well, if you don't have a US passport and you want to visit Euro, I guess that's a small fee to pay. The Schengen visa is about $70. Yes, it requires to apply in person. The application is an easy procedure. You need to fill out a form online and make an appointment. You go to your visa appointment with all required documents, and that's it. In about a week or two, they will mail your passport back with visa.[/quote

Still a huge hassle if you live far away from the consulate.

What is the big deal of sending relationship documents to the government. You already did that when you apply for AOS. Regarding applying for a euro visa, they list specific required documents for the visa so you shouldn't make a mistake. If you want to make sure 100% you can always email or call the consulate. After you done interview for the visa at the consulate, if you still miss something, you have an option to email or mail it to them. After they done processing the visa for you, they will mail your passport back to you.

Time+money my friend. It's a 5-hour drive from here to Chicago, which means I'll have to stay there for at least one night. And then there's the visa fee--not cheap.

If the location you moved to and your old location happen to be in different Service Districts falling under jurisdiction of different USCIS offices, don't you need to reside in your new location for minimum of 3 months before mailing out the citizenship application? Have you looked into if they fall withing the same Service District?

Yes i checked. I'm still in the same district.

I deciced the earliest I'll apply for citizenship is 5 years. I refuse to send any more relationship evidence to the US government. But being Canadian its not a big issue for me either.

I'm a little sick of sending relationship documents to the government too. We want to take a trip to Europe next year. It'll be much easier with an American passport. With my Chinese passport, I'll have to drive hours to the nearest big city to apply for a shengen visa. If I miss any document for the visa, I'll have to drive back and get it and drive to the consulate again!

Each answer is as individual as the person who answers for this.

Thank you for answering. I wish you the best.

Thank you! I'm exited for this final step of my immigration journey but at the same time I don't want to get my hopes up too high due to the circumstances.

Again i have to ask why not find a place centrally located to your commutes?

We thought about that. There's a very small town in the middle. If we were to live there, it'll take much more than 1 hour for him to get to work because he will be driving into the capital city and hit the traffic jam. Plus there will be ice and snow in the winter, which makes the daily commute unsafe.

He's also working and going to school at the same time with a very full schedule. We don't think wasting hours on the road everyday is worth it.

In this age, both people in the couple working is the norm, rather than the exception. You live 2 hours away, but probably get together on weekends and holidays, don't you? I would think this isn't a permanent situation; eventually he will move or you will, right? I know a couple of U.S. born citizen couples who have the wife working 3 hours away during the week, having an apartment in the other city, and returning to her base home on the weekends/holidays. It's not an abnormal situation at all.

Agreed! The separation is temporary so that I can get work experience to be able to find a job in his city. It is hard to show evidence that we visit each other during the weekends though. Either he or I just drive two hours and there's no plane tickets or anything to show our itinerary.

i agree with this, and am, at present, eliglible for naturalization under the 3 year rule, and am in the same situation as the OP. My husband and I live 2 1/2 hours apart (and have for 2 years), and must live in our respective places, not just for our jobs, but for our careers. We knew from the beginning that we would be living apart during the week. My USC husband's address is our home base, adn where I get all my mail, but he is also on my lease in the other location. I explained all of this ina a letter attached to my ROC application, and we sailed through that without even an interview. I expect the naturalization process to be the same, although I'm still weighing the pros and cons of waiting until the 5-year mark--or even doing it at all.

We lived together for vast majority of the 3 years since I became permenant resident. I just moved out late May and would be eligible to apply for citizenship mid July. I will try my best to present my case and hope for the best. If I don't get it, I'll just wait for another two years.

If you do decide to apply, please share your experience. I'd like to know how it goes. We may also be able to help others who are going to be in similar situations.

In this age, both people in the couple working is the norm, rather than the exception. You live 2 hours away, but probably get together on weekends and holidays, don't you? I would think this isn't a permanent situation; eventually he will move or you will, right? I know a couple of U.S. born citizen couples who have the wife working 3 hours away during the week, having an apartment in the other city, and returning to her base home on the weekends/holidays. It's not an abnormal situation at all.

Yes we get together over the weekends. Either he comes over to our new apartment or I go over to our old apartment. We still keep our names on both leases.

Thank you for the replies everybody. I'm prepared for additional scrutiny for my case. I need to collect as much documents to support my case to the best of my ability.

Since this is my first job so I didn't really have much choice/leverage in job locations. Husband is working on a cross functional HR team and cannot work remotely.

I am going to try my best to present my case. If I'm denied, I'll just wait for another two years instead of appealing the decision. For now, I need the work experience and endure the separation to be able to reunite with husband in the near future.

Involun​tary S​eparation​

​

Under very limited circumstances​ and where there is no indication of marital disunity​, an applicant may be able to establish that he or she is living in marital union with his or her ​U.S. citizen ​spouse even though the applicant does not actually reside with citizen spouse. ​An applicant ​is not​ ​made ineligible for naturalization for not living in marital union if ​the separation is due to ​circumstances beyond his or her control, such as​:​ [32]

​

S​ervice in the ​U.S. a​rmed ​f​orces​;​ or​

​

Required travel or relocation for​ ​employment​.​

​

USCIS does not consider incarceration ​during the time of required living in marital union​ to be a​n involuntary ​separation​.​

This is from USCIS service manual, which clearly states "relocation for employment".

This would be a voluntary separation. You decided on your own to accept a job away from your spouse. No company can force you.

It's either this offer or become unemployed.

8 CFR 319.1(b)(2)(ii)©​ Involuntary separation. In the event that the applicant and spouse live apart because of circumstances beyond their control, such as military service in the Armed Forces of the United States or essential business or occupational demands, rather than because of voluntary legal or informal separation, the resulting separation, even if prolonged, will not preclude naturalization under this part.

I certainly will test their interpretation of "occupational demands". I consulted an immigration lawyer, who suggests that I have an affidavit from employer saying my job can only be carried out on site.

I'm about to submit my naturalization application under the three year rule. However, I just moved away a month ago from USC spouse for a new job after graduation with an MBA degree. We live in the same states about 2 hours apart.

Does anyone have experience claiming the "involuntary separation" clause in their application? What was it like?

I just received the welcome letter today but I received my green card on 02/11!

It turned out my application was approved on 02/04, as indicated by the letter signed by the USCIS Director in my local office.

They apparently didn't update online status immediately since I received the electronic update on 02/10.

I want to file for N 400 based on the 3 year rule.

I'm in school and working part time now. I just accepted a job offer in another city (same state), about two hours away. My new job starts on 06/01. I will move to the new city late May but husband will stay in current city, because he's working and going to school at the same time.

I should be able to file for N400 in mid July. Should I go for it?

By the time I apply I'll be residing in another city for about 1.5 months. I know we will be staying over at each other's place every weekend. We are also both on our leases. Do we qualify for "involuntary separation" which won't preclude me from satisfying the "martial union" requirement?

Green Card Received today!

It turned out they might have updated the online status later than when the case was approved.

New Card Approved, after almost 6.5 months!

Hey Can someone add my Info to the list? Thanks!

CSC: I-751: 07/22/2015, NOA: 07/24/2015, Biometrics: 08/18/2015 (walk-in: 08/07/2015)