In three years as the spouse of the US citizen or five years otherwise, you can petition to become a naturalized citizen. At that time you must have more than 50% residency in the United States. If you exceed any absence outside of the United States by 180 days, or more, the USCIS officer can decide that you have failed to maintain residency in the United States and may be ineligible for citizenship. This is why it is so important to never exceed 179 days outside of the United States as a permanent resident. Good luck to you.
Answered on Apr 01st, 2016 at 11:36 AM