US Citizenship

Naturalization is the legal process to become a US citizen after being born outside of the US.

A Certificate of Naturalization is an offical document that is issued by USCIS when a foreign national successfully completes the process for becoming a US citizen.

The typical pathway to naturalization includes acquiring US lawful permanent resident status and either:

• Maintaining continuous residence and physical presence in the US for a prescribed number of years, or
• Serving honorably in active duty or reserve service of the US armed forces either (a) during a designated period of hostilities or (b) for one year or more.

“Continuous residence” refers to the time someone resided lawfully in the US without any single absence long enough to disrupt that continuity for naturalization purposes. If someone with lawful permanent resident (LPR) status leaves the US for too long, that may interrupt that person’s continuous residence. For example, if LPRs leaves the US for more than 12 months (even if they have a re-entry permit), they have disrupted their continuous residence. 

If someone has a re-entry permit and leaves the US for 12 months or longer, that person may be eligible to re-enter the US as a Lawful Permanent Resident.  However, none of the time spent in the US before leaving the country counts toward time in continuous residence.

The above notwithstanding, if green card holders return to the US within two years, the last 364 days of their time out of the country count toward their continuous residence.

“Physical presence” means that a green card holder has actually been in the US during the period required for naturalization. Typically naturalization applicants must be physically present in the United States for a certain number of months to be eligible for US citizenship.

Special caveats and exceptions exist for individuals who are abroad on US government orders (eg, active military members).