Naturalization eligibility tool

Legal information only. Naturalization eligibility depends on a detailed review of your full immigration and personal history. This screener identifies likely eligibility only. An immigration attorney should review your complete record, especially any criminal history, before filing form N-400. See our full disclaimer.

Naturalization eligibility screener

Your naturalization eligibility result

Get a free N-400 application review

Filing errors and overlooked background issues are the most common causes of naturalization delays and denials. An immigration attorney reviews your full record before you file.

What does it take to qualify for US citizenship?

Naturalization through form N-400 requires meeting several requirements at the same time, not just holding a green card for a set number of years. You need continuous residence, enough physical presence days actually spent in the US, residence in your current state or USCIS district for a minimum period, and good moral character throughout the statutory period before filing. Missing any one of these can delay or derail an otherwise strong application.

If you're still working toward a green card rather than already holding one, naturalization isn't available to you yet. Check our green card timeline tracker or priority date checker first to understand where you stand in that process.

Continuous residence versus physical presence

These are 2 separate requirements that often get confused. Continuous residence means you haven't abandoned your status as a US resident, broken by a single trip abroad lasting 6 months or more (which creates a presumption of a break) or 1 year or more (which breaks it automatically in most cases). Physical presence is a separate day-count requirement: you must have actually been physically in the US for at least half of the required residence period, typically 30 months out of the 5 years before filing, or 18 months out of 3 years for spouses of US citizens.

The 5-year and 3-year residence requirements

Most green card holders need 5 years of continuous residence as a permanent resident before filing for naturalization. Green card holders married to and living with a US citizen spouse for the entire period qualify under a faster 3-year rule instead. Certain other categories, including some military service members, have separate and sometimes shorter residence requirements.

Good moral character and the statutory period

USCIS evaluates good moral character during the statutory period immediately before filing, either 5 or 3 years depending on your category, though some conduct outside that window can still be considered. Certain criminal convictions create an automatic bar to naturalization, either permanently or for a set period. Even minor convictions, unpaid taxes, or failure to register for Selective Service (for applicable applicants) can complicate an otherwise straightforward case and should be flagged to an attorney before filing.

Frequently asked questions about naturalization

A trip of 6 months or more creates a rebuttable presumption that continuous residence was broken, meaning you may need to provide evidence, like ties to a US job, home, or family, to overcome it. A trip of 1 year or more generally breaks continuous residence automatically in most cases, requiring you to restart the residence period from your return date in most circumstances, with limited exceptions for certain government or qualifying employment abroad.

Yes, if you've been a green card holder for at least 3 years and have been married to and living with the same US citizen spouse for that entire 3-year period, you qualify under the faster 3-year rule instead of the standard 5-year rule. The physical presence requirement is also shorter under this category, at 18 months instead of 30 months.

It depends heavily on the offense and timing. Certain convictions, including most aggravated felonies, create a permanent bar to naturalization and good moral character. Other convictions create a bar only if they occurred within the statutory period before filing. Some convictions can also create deportation risk if disclosed in a naturalization application, which makes attorney review before filing essential for anyone with any criminal history.

USCIS reviews your N-400 application with you, asks questions to verify your answers and assess good moral character, and administers an English and civics test in most cases. Certain applicants qualify for exemptions or modifications based on age, length of residence, or disability. The interview is also when any inconsistencies between your application and your actual immigration history tend to surface, which is why accuracy on the initial filing matters.

The US generally permits dual citizenship, so naturalizing doesn't automatically require renouncing your other citizenship. However, your other country's laws may have their own rules about dual citizenship that could affect your status there, so this is worth checking with that country's consulate or an attorney familiar with both systems before applying.