green card holder applying for US citizenship?

Question

I'm a green card holder residing here since 2004. This is from a petition through my aunt's. Recently, i'm planning to go back to the Phil. to study medicine, Can I apply for Us citizenship now? If not, what is my best solution to keep my green card and study in the Phil. at the same time??

Answer 1

No, since you received your green card in 2004, you have not met one of the main requirements prior to applying for your US citizenship. YOu need to be a legal resident for at least 5 years before you can apply for citizenship. The only way that time can be shortened was if you had been married to a U.S. citizen which would change the waiting time from 5 years to 3 years.
Since you are going back to the Philippines to study you HAVE to make a trip back to the US every 6 months to keep your residency status active. If not, you WILL lose it.
In addition, you would not be able to apply for U.S citizenship after that until you show 5 years of continuous residency in the U.S.

Answer 2

I think you have to hold your green card for at least 5 years to qualify for application for citizenship.

In addition, if you leave the country for longer that a certain time (I think 6 months but you can check that) you will also lose your green card.

So if you want to return to the Philippines you had better watch your backside. You could end up losing all of your rights to live and work in the US, as well as your ultimate opportunity to apply for US citizenship.

If you value your residency and ultimately want to become a citizen, I would advise you to contact the US immigration authorities to find out what the regulations are. Otherwise, you can find yourself shut out entirely. This is not the place to ask the question because there are a lot of dumbos here (including me) who can give you a lot of bad advice. The US immigration authorities would be quite happy to answer your question as a service.

Answer 3

NO, it's a 5 year requirement to wait to apply for U.S citizenship with green card so you got 2 years to go if you leave the country kiss that time frame goodbye!!!!

when did the law change that allows Aunts to petition for green cards for relatives?

Answer 4

1. On my entry back to US ,what best reason should I give for such a long stay outside the country ? You dont need to state any reason - just shopw proof that you kept a bank account open, that you continued to pay rent or mortgage. Do I need to show my reentry permit or will I be allowed to enter on my GC. ? YEs you will need to show the rentry permit AND the GC. 2. Since I've completed 5 years, can I apply now for my citizenship ? NO because you spent more than 6 months outside of USA. 3.If I decide to stay outside the US due to unavoidable reasons, can I get a renewal of re-entry permit ? NO Do I need to be present in US to apply for this renewal ? YES how long does this take ? DK You have a document that is valid until May 2010 so you dont have to give any reason for why you were out of the USA for that long time, as long as you do arrive back in USA BEFORE the document expires. Yes you need to show this reentery permit and your GC to get back into the USA. As for citizenship - your eligibility for citizenship was interruopted sicne you have been o0ut olf USA for more than 6 months. You will need to start over again and remain in USA for 12 full months minimum before you are eligible to apply for citizenship.

Answer 5

I would get a student visa. This will allow you to go to school. You would have to talk to a lawyer and they will be able to tell you what you will be able to do. The laws are changing about getting a visa.

Answer 6

if you try with the red cross international voluntary services