Naturalization requirements?

Question

I've lived in the U.S. since November 1999. I went to study abroad as part of an exchange program with my school from Sept 03 to June 04. I called the INS and they said that I can use the last 5 years as continuous residency as long as I provide proof that my parents lived in the U.S. while I was away for those 9months or that I did not abandon my resident status.
Does anyone have knowledge of that? What can I provide? I have tax return forms for my parents, some bank statements for me and them and utility bills that received (phone, electric...). I also have my financial aid and scholarship rewards for 2003-2004 and school transcripts.

Also can I go to someone at an INS office and show all the documents I have before I deposit them to make sure that they are sufficient?

Thank you.

Answer 1

You should go to service center in your district to see with an immigration officer with your documents to make sure you have all the proof you need but it wouldn't hurt to get advice from an immigration attorney before going. The officer that you speak with might ask for proof that the nine months you were gone were school related.