Citizenship after Working Abroad on Green Card

[mikediamond 0]

Hello,

I'm a green card holder (UKC) and left the U.S. in May to return to the U.K. to visit family for the summer.  Whilst in the U.K., I was offered a job that I decided to take.  I've been working since July and made an appointment at the London U.S. embassy to abandon my permanent residency and surrender my green card today.  However, when the embassy employee noticed that I had only left in May, he refused to accept my abandonment as I had not been abroad for over a year.  He asked if I was planning on going back to the U.S. in any form before 1 year of leaving.  I said I'm returning to visit in November, as well as, Christmas and a few weeks early next year.  He stated that I have to continue to enter on my green card until I have "abandoned" my residency for over a year. I informed the employee that I am currently working in the U.K. and he said I could still maintain my citizenship timeline if I returned to the U.S. within 6 months of leaving regardless of having employment abroad.  He also said that I had the option to go back to the U.S. at any time before May 2018 to file a reentry permit even though I obtained my job after leaving the U.S. and am currently employed abroad.

 

My wife (USC / UKC) and I are very confused as we thought obtaining work abroad automatically means you've abandoned your residency. However, I was in the embassy today, and they told me that having employment abroad didn't matter toward citizenship as long as I reentered before six months of being away.

 

My work contract is only a year and we could move back to the US at that point.  If I enter in November (before 6 months have lapsed) and then reenter in April 2018 (before another six months have lapsed) and stay until I am eligible to file for citizenship in July 2018, does this mean I might still stand a chance of gaining citizenship?

 

Thank you so much for any help.  We are trying to make this decision quickly as I would need to book a flight soon to avoid being out of the country for more than six months.

 

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

 You would have to file taxes and show that you had no intent on abandoning residency. Having taken a job there may be used against you ( It would be on the interviewing officer to decide and he may not agree with the person you just dealt with )   Also you have to meet the time in / vs out requirements and the time in the district before filing.  

[Private One 44]

I'll tell you one thing. You'll most likely get denied if you applied for citizenship with that honesty (you should be honest) and you continued working abroad. You obviously had a change of heart about making the US your permanent home. I would try to maintain the GC if I were you, not for the reason of filing for citizenship as soon as you hit the three year mark (assuming you'd be using 3 yr rule) but in case you have another change of heart down the line and you decide to live in the US permanently once again.