Q: I am currently applying for naturalization and filling out my n-400 form, will my continuous residence be a problem?
I became a LPR in 2009 when I moved here with my family when I was 11 years old. I am now 20 years old and filling out n-400. I think that my continuous might be a problem. When I was 16 years old, from 2013-2014 I studied abroad in Japan for 11months. Not staying out for more than a year. Of course my connections back home were still maintained since I was only 16 and depended on my parents, how do I prove that? Or can they see that I am under the age of 18 and not question it? Also from 2016 to 2017 , I went to China on a cultural exchange for 6 months then to South Korea for about 5 months visiting for leisure and staying with a friend. I returned this year in May making it 11 months abroad. During that year out of the country, I still payed my taxes, kept my bank accounts, and drivers license. I still live with my parents and filed as a dependent on their taxes. While I was abroad I didn't work nor paid rent because I still lived with my parents. What can I show? Can I still apply?
A: Your application will be denied, because you broke the continuous residence requirement when you left the U.S. for more than 11 months. The information that you have regarding residency is great if the question of abandonment of residency comes up, but you need to have five years of continuous residency, starting from the day you last entered the U.S. In other words, you will be able to apply in May, 2022.
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