Anthony

A green card holder works for a US company stationed in Japan.
Is it true that the whole time this person lives and works in Japan counts
towards 5 years residency requirement for US citizenship? OR does it count
only for the purpose of keeping the residency requirement and does not count
towards citizenship requirement?

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Consult with a qualified immigration attorney who knows both citizenship & immigration "abandonment" and maintaining residence. Really.

Kevin Keane

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Anthony wrote:

    > A green card holder works for a US company stationed in Japan.
    > Is it true that the whole time this person lives and works in Japan counts
    > towards 5 years residency requirement for US citizenship? OR does it count
    > only for the purpose of keeping the residency requirement and does not
    > count towards citizenship requirement?

The rules are extremely complicated, actually, and he may actually risk
losing his Green Card.

He would be wise to consult with a US immigration attorney to analyze the
specific situation. It is actually quite possible that he will lose his
Green Card - but there are also some scenarios where he might be eligible
for immediate citizenship without any waiting period at all.

If he falls into the category of people who could keep their GC, most likely
his citizenship clock will be reset. He would then be eligible to apply for
citizenship four years and one day after he returns to the US for good.

- --
Please visit my FAQ at http://www.kkeane.com before asking a question here.
It may answer your question. Remember, I am strictly a layperson without
any legal training. I encourage the reader to seek competent legal counsel
rather than relying on usenet newsgroups.
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