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US citizenship: physical presence and continuous residence

Residence & citizenship · AmericasChecked Updated

US citizenship

Residence & citizenship
913 / 548days present in 5 years / 3-year spouse route

The usual naturalization route needs 30 months, or 913 days, of physical presence in the US during the 5 years before filing, plus continuous residence.1

Spouse route
The route for a spouse of a US citizen needs 18 months, or 548 days, of physical presence during the 3 years before filing.1
A day out
USCIS counts your departure day and return day as days of physical presence in the US. Only the dates between them are days outside.2How we count: Both crossing days count in the US, leaving the dates strictly between departure and return as full days outside.
Long trip
One absence of 181 through 364 days is presumed to break continuous residence. You must show that it did not.3
Year-long trip
An absence of 1 year or more breaks continuous residence. This is 365 days outside when the departure and return days count in the US.42
Early filing
You can file up to 90 days before meeting the required 5-year or 3-year continuous-residence period. The other requirements still apply when you file.1

Worked example

Days outside come off the period total

  1. Take the 5-year period from 1 January 2022 through 31 December 2026. It contains 1,826 calendar days because 2024 is a leap year.1How we count: 365 + 365 + 366 + 365 + 365 = 1,826 days.
  2. Three trips have 39, 15 and 40 full days outside. That is 94 days outside, leaving 1,826 - 94 = 1,732 days present if every other day was in the US.2How we count: 39 + 15 + 40 = 94. 1,826 - 94 = 1,732.
  3. The 1,732 days present pass 913 by 819 days. The longest trip is 40 days outside, below the 181-day presumption line.13How we count: 1,732 - 913 = 819. 40 is less than 181.

The rule it rests on: The usual naturalization route needs 30 months, or 913 days, of physical presence in the US during the 5 years before filing, plus continuous residence.1 USCIS counts your departure day and return day as days of physical presence in the US. Only the dates between them are days outside.2How we count: Both crossing days count in the US, leaving the dates strictly between departure and return as full days outside. One absence of 181 through 364 days is presumed to break continuous residence. You must show that it did not.3

Questions people ask

How many days must I be in the US for naturalization?

The usual naturalization route needs 30 months, or 913 days, of physical presence in the US during the 5 years before filing, plus continuous residence.1 The route for a spouse of a US citizen needs 18 months, or 548 days, of physical presence during the 3 years before filing.1

Do travel days count as physical presence in the US?

USCIS counts your departure day and return day as days of physical presence in the US. Only the dates between them are days outside.2How we count: Both crossing days count in the US, leaving the dates strictly between departure and return as full days outside.

What does a trip of more than 6 months do?

One absence of 181 through 364 days is presumed to break continuous residence. You must show that it did not.3 An absence of 1 year or more breaks continuous residence. This is 365 days outside when the departure and return days count in the US.42

Can I file before reaching 5 years of residence?

You can file up to 90 days before meeting the required 5-year or 3-year continuous-residence period. The other requirements still apply when you file.1

Sources

4 official pages, each with its exact words
  1. N-400 Instructions, edition 01/20/25 · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words 30 months (913 days) during the past 5 years
  2. N-400 Instructions, travel days · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words We will count the day that you depart from the United States and the day you return as days of physical presence within the United States for naturalization purposes.
  3. USCIS Policy Manual, continuous residence · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words An absence of more than 6 months (more than 180 days) but less than 1 year (less than 365 days)
  4. N-400 Instructions, absence of 1 year · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words You will not meet the continuous residence requirement if you left the United States, without our approval, for a continuous period of 1 year or more
Checked against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on 27 Oct 2026 Updated 26 Oct 2026

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