Applying for Naturalization after being outside of the U.S for a little bit more than 6 months

[Yago and Jess 0]

So,Okay,I moved to the U.S and I was 15 yrs old,I received my green card 6/29/2008. By logic,to become a USC I'd have to apply around 4 months before completing the 5 yr period they set to become a U.S citizen. However, at the end of June 2012,I came back to my country (Brazil) after my HS graduation,to take care of my grandmother and study,I came and I had applied for a Travel document that allows me to stay away for 2 years without losing my Green Card. I'm staying here for a little more than 6 months,seeing that I'm only returning to the US on 1/24/2013. I will be completing 5 years with my green card on 6/29/2013... My question is...Am I going to be able to become a U.S citizen? i am really confused,My mother said things are fine because I have the Travel document,but I dont know...Thank a lot Guys.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

First, you cannot study as a Brazilian in Brazil unless you are a resident. If you are a resident of Brazil, you are no longer a resident of the United States. That would be a dealbreaker right then and there.

A reentry permit means that you not automatically lose your residency and with it your Green Card if you stay out of the United States for 1 year or longer. If you return after 7 months, the reentry permit is useless and has no bearing on anything.

The moment you are absent from the U.S. for 6 months, your residency clock stops. When you return, you will have to show that you have not abandoned your US residency. If CBP asks you what you did in Brazil and you tell them that you studied there, you risk that they are not stupid enough not to connect that dots and tell you that you voluntarily abandoned your residency and are thus no longer a Green Card holder anymore. Will that happen? I don't know. Can it happen? Absolutely.

If you tell them that you took care of your sick grandma who was bitten by a wolf, it's more likely that nothing significant happens. If so, then you can become a US citizen as early as June 29, 2013. You can apply as early as 90 days (not a day earlier) before that.

At the interview, the I.O will ask you about your absence "over 6 months" from the U.S. again, and again you will have to tell him or her why you were in Brazil for about 7 months. I.O.s are not stupid, and they usually know what questions to ask, so don't step into a trap here either.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

*** Moving from General Immigration to US Citizenship discussion forum ****

[Yago and Jess 0]

Mmm... I see, makes sense. Thank you.

[Dave&Roza 748]

So,Okay,I moved to the U.S and I was 15 yrs old,I received my green card 6/29/2008. By logic,to become a USC I'd have to apply around 4 months before completing the 5 yr period they set to become a U.S citizen. However, at the end of June 2012,I came back to my country (Brazil) after my HS graduation,to take care of my grandmother and study,I came and I had applied for a Travel document that allows me to stay away for 2 years without losing my Green Card. I'm staying here for a little more than 6 months,seeing that I'm only returning to the US on 1/24/2013. I will be completing 5 years with my green card on 6/29/2013... My question is...Am I going to be able to become a U.S citizen? i am really confused,My mother said things are fine because I have the Travel document,but I dont know...Thank a lot Guys.

First I would make certain you can gain re-entry to the US before worryng about when you can apply for USC. One step at a time. Check out this link for the requirements for becoming a USC and where you fall given your stay outside the US. The travel document allows you to re-enter the US, but it does not preserve the residency requirements. Also, if you claimed to be a Brazilian resident to get reduced fees for studying then you abandoned your LPR status to the US and will have to apply for a new GC.

I wish you well,

Dave

[nicolasandres 6]

So,Okay,I moved to the U.S and I was 15 yrs old,I received my green card 6/29/2008. By logic,to become a USC I'd have to apply around 4 months before completing the 5 yr period they set to become a U.S citizen. However, at the end of June 2012,I came back to my country (Brazil) after my HS graduation,to take care of my grandmother and study,I came and I had applied for a Travel document that allows me to stay away for 2 years without losing my Green Card. I'm staying here for a little more than 6 months,seeing that I'm only returning to the US on 1/24/2013. I will be completing 5 years with my green card on 6/29/2013... My question is...Am I going to be able to become a U.S citizen? i am really confused,My mother said things are fine because I have the Travel document,but I dont know...Thank a lot Guys.

hi!! in my case, im from colombia and mi son was born there, i became a us permanent resident 6 years ago , mi son was living in colombia with his father so every winter i was traveling to colombia and stay there with him for five or almost six months. that happens for 5 years , i apply in june 4 to become a citizen i have mi oath ceremony dic 10.when i was filing the application they ask me if i was away from us for 30 moths or more ( mi total was 25 months) soo no worries about it if you don"t have 30 months or more away from us you can apply for what you want!!!

[Wilerao59 10]

So,Okay,I moved to the U.S and I was 15 yrs old,I received my green card 6/29/2008. By logic,to become a USC I'd have to apply around 4 months before completing the 5 yr period they set to become a U.S citizen. However, at the end of June 2012,I came back to my country (Brazil) after my HS graduation,to take care of my grandmother and study,I came and I had applied for a Travel document that allows me to stay away for 2 years without losing my Green Card. I'm staying here for a little more than 6 months,seeing that I'm only returning to the US on 1/24/2013. I will be completing 5 years with my green card on 6/29/2013... My question is...Am I going to be able to become a U.S citizen? i am really confused,My mother said things are fine because I have the Travel document,but I dont know...Thank a lot Guys.

I can absolutely guarantee you that you will not encounter any problem at all when it comes to staying outside the US for a little more than 6 months. USCIS doesn't deny entry nor any application for immigration benefit just because of one or two occurrence of such; rather they weigh the totality of whole situation or trips over the years. CBP also rarely asks a LPR as to why such a long stay outside the US. And even if they do, they do have discretionary authority to let it go which they do almost 99.99% of the times. As I said many times on this forum that I see so many people of being naturalized despite of multiple longer than 6 months stays outside the US. I've got to see just one case wherein an application is denied because one single stay outside the US for longer than 6 months. So long you could give a satisfactory answer to reasoning your such longer stay outside the US, you will be perfectly fine, trust me. If I were you, I wouldn't say about studying as the reasoning to stay that long outside the US; rather taking care of grandma would do the trick.

I assume you are in the pic of you in your avatar. Don't know if you are a female or a male in there, but whoever this female in there is indeed very gorgeous.

[Yago and Jess 0]

Oh thank you all for your answers.... This whole process is just very confusing, but thanks