Question for green card holders..
 

Hi

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, if so, mods please move..

I got my green card in the beginning of this year after marrying my then girlfriend, who is a US citizen.

As we all know getting a job right now in the US is kinda tricky. Luckily I have a job overseas that allows me to commute and I will continue to do so until I find a job in the US.

Now, the problem is that if I do my last trip in December I will have spent more than six months out of the country in one year, which busts the presence requirement to be able to renew the green card.

There is a similar thread at www.pprune,com where someone states that he talked to an immigration lawyer about this and was told that it would be no problem. If you are employed by an airline, foreign or US, it would simply be looked upon as you were out of the country "against your own will" to make a living

For those of you who have gone through this process, how deeply do they actually look into your time spent in the US when you are up for renewal/citizenship?

I am planning on cutting back on my trips overseas for 2009 to spend more time with my wife, and also to more actively try to get something in the US. Hence when it's time for the renewal in 2010 I will have fulfilled the presence requirement for 2009.

Appreciate your info/advice,

SS

Do yourself a favor and pay an immigration attorney. I would never have gotten things right on my own.

Not sure if you are talking about the actual application process for the green card (which I of course already went through) or my question about "the six month in the county" rule.

I spoke to an immigration lawyer before I applied, and had I followed her adviced it would only have complicated things for me. The whole process from filing to actually receiving my permanent residency was less than three months. I did not want to involve a pricey lawyer to do something I could handle myself..

SS

Easy, just call in sick for the last trip in December.
fbh

Actually that is no problem since I'm on a free lance contract. It just would be nice with a fresh $15k before I scale back on my trips.

SS