NATURALIZATION: MY WIFE CANNOT BELIEVE I PULLED OFF THAT ARGUMENT.

We were approached by a young lady in Virginia. USCIS had denied her naturalization because she had stayed outside of the U.S. for more than 6 months. If somebody has their green card and they’re out of the U.S. for more than 6 months, they can be presumed to have abandoned their residency unless you can convince immigration that you did not abandon your residency. You have to show evidence that you did not intend to abandon your residency.

She had no such evidence and had left the U.S. for 181 days.

Our argument - that 6 months was 182.5 days (365 divided by 2) and not 181 days - and that my client had not abandoned her residency.

We won the case. 

To this day, my wife cannot believe I pulled off that argument.

JIM