Legal Question in Immigration Law in Virginia

Re: Green Card Holder out for several years (study abroad)

At the time of your application/petition for naturalization, you must generally be able to prove five continuous years as a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. with no trips outside the country exceeding six months.

Whenever you're able to prove such circumstance, that would very likely be the "best time to go about it".

Re: Green Card Holder out for several years (study abroad)

You will probably get a lot of responses that say speak to an immigration attorney first. In your case that is very applicable. I don't want to be dismissive about your question but your eligibility for citizenship comes down to a series of calculations along with making sure that you had not abandoned your green card (in other words that you complied with the terms of your reentry permit). You may need to renew your green card if you are not eligible for citizenship yet (which I presume you are not). If you would like to go through your circumstances in detail with me please contact my office and we'll set up a consultation. 877-KUMAR-LAW.