Continuous Residence Requirement After Living in the States for 10 Years

[Jaime_Jaime 0]

I moved to the US on a spouse visa almost 10 years ago. During those 10 years, we lived continually in the US, owned/rented property, and I have continuously worked in the States. 

Recently I decided to apply for citizenship and submitted my N400 form, had the biometrics appointment and now I am waiting for my interview somewhere in mid-March 2020.

 

Unfortunately, my dad's health status declined recently and I would like to fly home (outside of US) be beside him.    

I have read about the Continuous Residence Requirement clause on the USCIS website: https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/citizenship-through-naturalization/continuous-residence-and-physical-presence-requirements-naturalization and it got me a bit confused. 

 

My questions are:

-- Considering I have lived here for so long, does this apply to a long-standing green card holder?

-- I will keep my job in the US and still own a property here. Can I leave for a long period (potentially more than 6 months) without holding off my naturalization?

-- In the "Continuous Residence and Physical Presence Requirements for Naturalization" they discuss only about the requirements before applying, do those restrictions apply also AFTER applying? now that I have applied, can I go and aid my dad even if it will take months. 

 

Thanks for your time and insights.

 

[Junior-sfo 9]

Hi @Jaime_Jaime hope your dad recovers soon. 

I read in a few posts about this and the conclusion was that both physical and continuous presence requirements always apply before you file N400.

Now, if you have a green card and plan to leave US for an extended period of time, closer to 6 months or more than that, it is highly recommended to apply for advanced parole. Otherwise, CBP officers can give you a hard time at point of entry. It's just safer.

[afrocraft 314]

Those requirements actually apply up until you take the citizenship oath.