I am a Green Card holder from 1997. Recently I went to India and returned back after 180 days absence. Whether absence of 1...

Full question:

I am a Green Card holder from 1997. Recently I went to India and returned back after 180 days absence. Whether absence of 180 ( 6 months) breaks the period of continuous residence for the purposes of counting the period of continuous for applying for citizenship. I think the absence of more than 6 months alone ( absence of more than 6 months) alone causes break in the period of continuous residence.

Answer:

An absence of six months or less does not break continuous residence. An absence of more than six months but less than one year creates a “rebuttable presumption” of abandoning continuous residency for naturalization purposes. The intent underlying the absence is primary in determining abandonment.

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FAQs

USCIS counts 180 days as a continuous period of absence from the United States. This period begins on the day you leave the U.S. and ends on the day you return. If your absence exceeds 180 days, it may trigger a presumption that you have abandoned your continuous residence for naturalization purposes, unless you can prove otherwise.