Travel Plans? Citizenship Application Pending

If you're a permanent resident of the United States and are applying for naturalisation, you may be wondering if you can travel abroad before the process is complete. The good news is that, yes, travel is permissible during the naturalisation process and there are no travel restrictions once you have filed your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. This is because, as a green card holder, you are a permanent resident and allowed to travel abroad even with a pending naturalization application.

However, there are a few important things to keep in mind. Firstly, you must still satisfy residence and physical presence requirements to maintain your legal permanent resident status. This means that any trip you take must not be longer than 180 days, and you must be mindful of the total amount of time you spend outside of the country. Secondly, there are three crucial naturalization appointments that you must attend: a biometrics appointment, a naturalization interview, and an oath ceremony. Travel can disrupt these appointments and cause delays in your application process, so careful planning is essential.

Travel is permissible during the naturalization process

If you have a pending N-400 Application for Naturalization, you may be wondering if you can travel during this stage. The good news is that travel is permissible during the application process for U.S. naturalization. As a green card holder, you are a permanent resident allowed to travel abroad even with a pending naturalization application.

However, it's important to keep in mind that there are no travel restrictions, but you still have residence and physical presence requirements that you must satisfy to maintain your legal permanent resident status. Therefore, any trip you plan to take must not be longer than 180 days, and you must be mindful of the accumulated time spent outside the country. If you accrue more than 180 days outside the U.S., your continuous presence requirement will be considered broken, and your N-400 application will be denied.

There are three crucial naturalization appointments that you must attend during the process: the biometrics appointment, the naturalization interview, and the oath ceremony. These appointments can be rescheduled, but it will likely cause significant delays in your naturalization process. Ignoring the appointment notices will likely lead to a denial of your application.

While travel is permissible, it is generally advisable to stay in the U.S. during the naturalization process to ensure that you do not miss any appointments and to prevent avoidable delays. If you must travel, careful planning is essential to ensure that you can attend all the appointments and meet the residence and physical presence requirements.

There are no travel restrictions after filling out Form N-400

However, it is important to be mindful of the length of your trip and the amount of accumulated time spent outside of the country. If you accrue more than 180 days outside of the United States, your continuous residence requirement will be disrupted, and your N-400 application will be denied. This is because, in addition to the residence requirement, there are physical presence requirements that you must satisfy to maintain your legal permanent resident status.

For example, if you are applying for naturalization based on five years as a permanent resident, you will need to show that you have at least 30 months of physical presence within the United States. Similarly, if you are applying for naturalization based on three years as a permanent resident as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, you must show at least 18 months of physical presence within the country.

Additionally, there are three crucial naturalization appointments that you must attend: your biometrics appointment, your naturalization interview, and your oath ceremony. Careful consideration of when you travel is important, as these appointments can be scheduled during your time outside of the country, leading to unnecessary complications and delays in your naturalization process.

While it is possible to reschedule these appointments, doing so will likely cause significant delays. Therefore, it is advisable to remain in the United States until your application has been adjudicated to ensure that you do not miss any appointments and to prevent avoidable delays.

You must fulfil continuous residence and physical presence requirements

To become a naturalized citizen of the United States, you must fulfil continuous residence and physical presence requirements.

Continuous Residence

Continuous residence means that an applicant has maintained residence within the United States for a specified period of time. Generally, naturalization applicants must have resided continuously in the U.S. for at least five years before applying and up to the time of naturalization. There is a shortened three-year requirement for permanent residents who are married to a U.S. citizen.

Short trips abroad typically do not disrupt the continuous residence requirement, but long absences will. For the purposes of naturalization:

• A trip abroad of less than six months will not disrupt continuous residence.
• A trip of more than six months but less than a year is presumed to break continuous residence.
• A trip of 12 months or longer will definitely break continuous residence.

If you have an absence of greater than six months and want to apply for naturalization, consult an immigration lawyer first.

Physical Presence

Physical presence means that the applicant has been physically present in the United States for a specified period of time over the previous five years. Generally, you must have 30 months of physical presence in the U.S. to be eligible for naturalized citizenship. However, this requirement is reduced to 18 months of physical presence if you are filing based on marriage to a U.S. citizen. The physical presence requirement is set at half of the continuous residence period.

Physical presence is a cumulative requirement, so each day that you are outside the United States must be counted. For example, an individual who made a 30-day trip and five 1-day trips would have been absent for a total of 35 days.

Calculating Your Residency Period

Your time as a permanent resident generally begins on the day that the U.S. government grants you permanent resident status. More accurately, a person is considered a permanent resident at the time USCIS approves the applicant's adjustment application or at the time the applicant enters and is admitted to the United States with an immigrant visa. You can find the date on your green card next to "Resident Since."

Trips abroad must be less than six months

If you are a permanent resident of the United States and have submitted Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, you can still travel abroad. This is because you are still a permanent resident and hold a valid permanent resident card (green card) that allows you to leave and re-enter the country.

However, there are some important considerations to keep in mind. Firstly, you must satisfy the residence and physical presence requirements to maintain your legal permanent resident status. Therefore, any trip abroad must not exceed 180 days (6 months) and you must be mindful of the accumulated time spent outside the U.S. If you accrue more than 180 days outside the U.S., the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) will presume that you have disrupted the continuous residence requirement, and your N-400 application will be denied.

For example, if you are applying for naturalization based on 5 years as a permanent resident, you will need to show at least 30 months of physical presence within the U.S. to maintain your status. Travel during the naturalization period will count against this physical presence requirement. Similarly, if you are applying for naturalization based on 3 years as a permanent resident as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, you must show at least 18 months of physical presence within the U.S.

Secondly, there are three crucial naturalization appointments that you must attend: the biometrics appointment, the naturalization interview, and the oath ceremony. Travel during this period can disrupt the N-400 processing timeline. While these appointments can be rescheduled, it will cause significant delays in your naturalization process. Ignoring appointment notices will likely lead to a denial of your application. Therefore, careful consideration of your travel plans is essential to avoid unnecessary complications.

In conclusion, while there are no explicit travel restrictions for permanent residents with a pending N-400 application, it is important to ensure that your trip abroad is less than six months to comply with the continuous residence requirement and to avoid missing any crucial naturalization appointments.

You must attend three essential appointments during the process

Travelling Abroad Before the Naturalization Process

There are no travel restrictions once you have filed your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. This is because, as a green card holder, you are a permanent resident allowed to travel abroad even with a pending naturalization application.

However, you must still satisfy residence and physical presence requirements to maintain your legal permanent resident status within the U.S. Therefore, any trip you take must not be longer than 180 days, and you must remain mindful of the amount of accumulated time spent outside of the country.

The Three Essential Appointments

There are three major and essential naturalization appointments that you must attend during the process. These appointments are paramount to the success of your N-400 application. Careful consideration of when you travel is important, as these appointments being scheduled during your time outside the U.S. can lead to unnecessary complications and significant delays in your naturalization process.

Biometrics Appointment

Within a few weeks of filing your application, you will be scheduled for a biometrics appointment. You will be notified if they need to take your biometrics: fingerprints, photo, and signature. You will be sent an appointment notice providing the date, time, and location of the appointment.

Naturalization Interview

Most people will have to wait a few months after the biometrics appointment for their next appointment, which is the naturalization interview. During the interview, a USCIS officer will ask you questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and civics test unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver.

Oath Ceremony

The final appointment is the oath ceremony, where you will officially become a U.S. citizen. This is the culmination of the naturalization process. At the ceremony, you will be required to surrender your green card and take the Oath of Allegiance. You will receive your Certificate of Naturalization after taking the oath.

Frequently asked questions