Citizenship application with a residency gap due to covid-19

[kalsal]

My parents became GC holders in Dec'2018, and have spent more than 180 days in the U.S each year. However, they were caught up in India since January'2020 and unable to come back to the U.S due to Covid-19. After all the restrictions ended and after health issues were resolved, they made it to the US in March'2022.

Official guideline is that Covid-19 induced absence from the U.S.A is not excused for the purposes of Citizenship application.

My question is whether, there is any mitigation or exception request in practice that worked for others. Parents are aged 74 and 69 and are settled here in the U.S(California) and have no intention to move back to India. How do I make a case to USCIS that my parents' citizenship application be allowed given the involuntary gap due to Covid.

Please share your experiences, negative or positive, to help me figure out the path forward.

[Attorney_6]

Unfortunately, as said by USCIS in the previous years - even if due to unforeseen reasons, such as COVID-19-related travel restrictions, an absence from the United States for a continuous period of one year or more (365 days or more) during the period for which continuous residence is required will automatically break the continuity of residence. Hence, your parents' clock has restarted after their re-entry in March 2022, and they will need to wait at a minimum 4 years and 1 day from that point, before being eligible to apply for their citizenship.