N-400 Physical Presence to Apply for U.S. Citizenship

You've had your green card for years. You pay taxes, you vote in local elections (okay, not yet), and your whole life is in the U.S. So you start filling out Form N-400 and hit the section about trips outside the country. Suddenly you're wondering whether that six-week trip to see family last summer is going to be a problem.

Here's the short answer: USCIS doesn't just care that you have a green card. They want to see that you've physically been in the country for a specific number of days. This is called the physical presence requirement, and it trips up more applicants than you'd expect.

If you're not sure where you stand, Immiva's free N-400 eligibility checker can help you figure out whether you're ready to file. But first, let's break down what the requirement actually means.

What Is the Physical Presence Requirement?

Physical presence is one of two residency tests USCIS uses when you apply for U.S. citizenship. It's the simpler one: a straight count of how many days you were inside the United States.

According to the USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part D, Chapter 4, the minimums are:

• 5-year rule: At least 913 days (30 months) physically in the U.S. during the 5 years before you file.
• 3-year marriage rule: At least 548 days (18 months) during the 3 years before you file, if you're filing based on marriage to a U.S. citizen.

There's no wiggle room here. 912 days doesn't round up to 913.

One detail that helps: the day you leave the U.S. and the day you return both count as days of physical presence. So a trip from June 1 to June 10 only costs you 8 days, not 10.

Physical Presence vs. Continuous Residence

This is where people get confused. USCIS actually runs two separate tests, and you have to pass both.

Physical presence is about counting days. Were you in the country for enough of them? It's pure math.

Continuous residence is about your life. Did you maintain your home, job, family ties, and tax obligations in the U.S.? It's more of a judgment call. The rules are laid out in USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part D, Chapter 3.

You can meet one and fail the other. Someone who takes dozens of short business trips might have unbroken continuous residence but not enough total days in the country. Someone who took a single 7-month trip might have plenty of total days but a gap in continuous residence.

Both tests matter. Both have to be satisfied before your N-400 application can be approved.

There's also a third requirement that people forget: you need to have lived in the same state or USCIS district for at least 3 months before filing.

How to Calculate Your Physical Presence Days

USCIS doesn't provide a calculator for this (though Immiva's N-400 Residence Calculator does the math for you). If you want to do it yourself, here's the process.

Step 1: Gather Your Travel Records

You'll need documentation covering the last 5 years (or 3 years if using the marriage rule). Pull together:

• All passports used during that period
• Your I-94 travel history, which you can download from CBP's website
• Airline booking confirmations and boarding passes
• Any other records that show when you left and returned (credit card statements, photos with location data, even text messages)

If you're not sure what the I-94 is, we have a guide that explains it: I-94 Arrival/Departure Record Explained.

Step 2: List Every Trip Outside the U.S.

For each trip in your statutory period, write down:

• Date you left the U.S.
• Date you returned
• Country visited
• Total days outside the U.S. (not counting departure and return days)

This is essentially the same information you'll need for the N-400 travel history section, so you're doing double duty here. The official N-400 instructions require you to list every trip of 24 hours or more.

Step 3: Run the Numbers

Take the total number of days in your statutory period:

• 5-year rule: roughly 1,826 days
• 3-year rule: roughly 1,095 days

Subtract your total days outside the U.S. The result is your physical presence count.

For the 5-year rule, you need that number to be at least 913. For the 3-year rule, at least 548.

You can run this calculation quickly using Immiva's N-400 Residence Calculator. Just enter your trips and it tells you exactly where you stand.

Step 4: Cross-Check Your Records

Before you file, make sure everything lines up:

• Passport stamps should roughly match your trip list.
• Your address history shouldn't show you living somewhere outside the U.S. during dates you claimed to be here.
• Your tax returns should be consistent (filing as a U.S. resident, not a non-resident).

Inconsistencies between your N-400 and your supporting documents are one of the most common reasons applications run into trouble. Our N-400 document checklist covers exactly what you should bring to your interview.

What If You're Close to the Line?

If your count comes back at, say, 920 days out of the 913 required, think carefully before filing. USCIS officers count days too, and if their math comes out differently from yours by even a few days, you could face a denial.

The safer move is to wait a few more weeks or months inside the U.S. to build a comfortable buffer. There's no penalty for filing later, but filing too early can result in a denial that goes on your immigration record. Our guide on common N-400 mistakes covers this and other filing errors to avoid.

How Trips Abroad Affect Your N-400

Not all absences from the U.S. are treated the same. The length of each trip matters a lot, and the total pattern of travel matters too.

Short Trips (Under 6 Months)

Individual trips under six months generally don't raise red flags for continuous residence. But they still reduce your physical presence count.

Here's a scenario that catches people off guard: you take a dozen trips over five years, each one lasting about three weeks. None of them is anywhere close to six months. But add them up and you've spent over 250 days outside the country. Throw in a couple longer family visits and you could easily end up below the 913-day threshold without ever triggering the 6-month warning.

This is why counting matters more than guessing. Use Immiva's N-400 Residence Calculator or a simple spreadsheet to track your actual totals before you file.

Trips of 6 to 12 Months

A single trip of six months or more creates a legal presumption that you broke continuous residence (USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part D, Chapter 3). That doesn't mean your application is automatically denied, but it means the burden shifts to you. You'll need to prove that your life stayed rooted in the U.S.: you kept your home, your family stayed here, you maintained your job or had a clear reason for the absence, and you filed U.S. taxes as a resident.

Even if you overcome the continuous residence presumption, all those months abroad still count against your physical presence total. You might need to wait additional time in the U.S. before you have enough days.

Trips of 12 Months or More

A trip lasting a full year or longer almost always breaks continuous residence. Under INA § 316(b), an absence of one year or more generally resets your continuous residence clock entirely.

There's a form called N-470 that can preserve continuous residence for certain people working abroad (U.S. government employees, employees of qualifying U.S. companies, and some religious workers). But as explained in Chapter 5 of the USCIS Policy Manual, the N-470 typically does not waive the physical presence requirement itself. So even with an approved N-470, you still need enough days in the U.S.

If you have any trip of six months or longer in your history, talk to an immigration attorney or accredited representative before filing. A denial on your N-400 can have consequences beyond just having to refile.

Quick Reference: Physical Presence at a Glance

If you're filing under the 5-year rule:

• Statutory period: 5 years before filing
• Minimum days in the U.S.: 913 (30 months)
• Maximum days outside: about 913

If you're filing under the 3-year marriage rule:

• Statutory period: 3 years before filing
• Minimum days in the U.S.: 548 (18 months)
• Maximum days outside: about 547
• Additional requirement: must be married to and living with your U.S. citizen spouse during the entire period (learn more about the 3-year rule)

For both paths:

• Day of departure and day of return count as days in the U.S.
• Must reside in filing state/district for at least 3 months
• Must meet all other citizenship requirements (good moral character, English, civics)

What to Do Before You File

1. Count your days. Use the N-400 Residence Calculator or build your own spreadsheet with every trip listed.
2. Check for red-flag trips. Any single absence of 6+ months needs careful analysis. Anything over 12 months likely requires legal advice.
3. Get your documents together. Passports, I-94 records, flight confirmations. Our complete N-400 document checklist tells you exactly what to bring.
4. Make sure your stories match. Your travel history, address history, employment history, and tax filings should all tell a consistent story.
5. Don't forget the other requirements. Physical presence is just one piece. You also need to pass the civics test, demonstrate English proficiency, and show good moral character (a DUI, for example, can complicate things).
6. Know your costs. The N-400 filing fee is $760 (or $710 for online filing). Check our breakdown of N-400 costs so there are no surprises, and make sure you know how to pay USCIS filing fees correctly.
7. Prepare for the interview. Once your N-400 is filed and your biometrics appointment is done, you'll be scheduled for an interview. Our guide to N-400 interview questions covers what to expect and how to prepare.

If your numbers look good and your records are clean, you're in a strong position. And if you want help putting it all together, Immiva's step-by-step N-400 guide walks you through the entire process from eligibility check to interview prep. You can also file your N-400 without a lawyer and still feel confident about every section.

Official Sources

This guide is based on current USCIS policy and federal regulations. All information was verified against these official sources as of February 2026:

USCIS Resources

• USCIS Form N-400 Official Page
• Form N-400 Instructions
• USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12: Citizenship and Naturalization
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part D, Chapter 4: Physical Presence
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part D, Chapter 3: Continuous Residence
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part D, Chapter 5: Exceptions and Accommodations
• USCIS Fee Schedule
• USCIS Processing Times
• CBP I-94 Travel History

Federal Regulations

• 8 CFR § 316.2(a)(6) - Early filing and eligibility requirements
• 8 CFR § 316.5 - Residence and physical presence

Immigration and Nationality Act

• INA § 316(a) - General naturalization requirements
• INA § 316(b) - Effect of absences on continuous residence
• INA § 319(a) - Naturalization for spouses of U.S. citizens

Immigration law changes frequently. We monitor USCIS policy updates and revise this guide when regulations change.