Spouse of US Citizen Assigned Abroad

Introduction

Besides a shorter residence requirement (three years instead of five), spouse of citizens who are assigned abroad by their U.S. employers can be exempted completely from the continuous residence and physical presence requirements, thereby permitting them to be naturalized prior to accompanying their citizen spouses abroad on their assignments. The citizen spouse must be working for one of the same employers that can qualify their alien employees for extended absence naturalization benefits. When you are eligible for immediate naturalization, it does not matter if you are subject to conditional permanent residence; Naturalization interview and oath could be scheduled on a date that best fits the applicant's travel and work plans.

Qualification

You must:

1.    Be married to a U.S. citizen and living together in a valid marital union;

2.    Be a lawful permanent resident (green card holder);

3.    Have been living in marital union with the U.S. citizen spouse, who has been a U.S. citizen during all of such period;

4.    Be physically present in the U.S. at the time of naturalization;

5.    Will depart abroad immediately after naturalization and intend to reside in the United States immediately upon the termination of the citizen spouse's employment abroad;

6.    Comply with all applicable naturalization requirements.

Your USC Spouse would be considered as regularly stationed abroad in any of the following kinds of employment:

1.    As a member of the United States Armed Forces;

2.    As an employee of the United States Government;

3.    As an employee of an American institution of research recognized by USCIS or by a public international organization of which the United States is a member by treaty or law;

4.    As an employee of an American company engaged in the development of United States foreign trade and commerce, or its subsidiary;

5.    Performing ministerial or priestly functions by a religious denomination with a bona fide organization in the United States; or

6.    Employed as a missionary by a religious or interdenominational mission organization with a bona fide organization in the United States.

Your USC Spouse must have at least 1 year remaining on his or her overseas duty at the time of your naturalization.