Normally, the spouse of a U.S. citizen must live in the U.S. as a permanent resident for at least three years before applying for naturalization. This can pose a major problem for families in which the U.S. citizen spouse is transferred abroad by their U.S. employer. If the family leaves the U.S. to pursue the opportunity to work abroad, the permanent resident spouse is prevented from accumulating the three years required for citizenship, and may even be considered to have abandoned permanent residence. The good news is that spouses of U.S. citizens employed by U.S. companies abroad can have the three-year waiting period waived.