Inaleda

I am a CPR based on marriage to a USC. My husband and I are going to spend a year outside the US because he has received a fellowship to do research in Europe. 1. How can I preserve my residence for naturalization purposes? 2. Do we have to or should we obtain a re-entry permit before our departure (which will be in a week)? 3. If I come back to the US after 6 months for a short visit will this preserve my residency requirement?

Liwen Liang

check http://www.ins.gov for eligibility to preserve
the residence for naturalization purpose. I am not sure if you will qualify, since it
is your husband's job, not yours. But check anyway.

If you are sure you will be back within a year, you don't need re-entry permit,
but if you are out for more than 6 months, your clock to naturalization will be
reset the time you come back to the US soil. Personally, I think you will be okay
if you come back for a short visit (say 2 weeks, or a month) in the middle of it -
staying out for
5.5 months, and come back for a month, then go out for another 5.5 months.

Before you apply for naturalization, you have to be physically here in the US for
half of the 3 years requirement, and married to the same USC for 3 years.

Inaleda <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > I am a CPR based on marriage to a USC. My husband and I are going to spend a year
    > outside the US because he has received a fellowship to do research in Europe. 1.
    > How can I preserve my residence for naturalization purposes? 2. Do we have to or
    > should we obtain a re-entry permit before our departure (which will be in a week)?
    > 3. If I come back to the US after 6 months for a short visit will this preserve my
    > residency requirement?