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Instructions for Application to Preserve Residence

for Naturalization Purposes

USCIS

Form N-470

Department of Homeland Security

OMB No. 1615-0056

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Expires 05/31/2019

What Is the Purpose of Form N-470?

This application is for a lawful permanent resident who must leave the United States for certain employment purposes and

wishes to preserve his or her continuous residence to pursue naturalization.

You may be able to preserve continuous residency (previously accumulated for naturalization purposes) even though

you may be residing outside the United States for longer than one year. The time spent outside the United States may be

counted toward your residency requirement if you file Form N-470.

Who May File Form N-470?

You should file this application if you meet all of the requirements below:

1. You must have been physically present and residing in the United States for an uninterrupted period, without any

absences, for at least one year after your admission as a lawful permanent resident (except religious workers);

2. You will be absent from the United States for one year or more;

3. You have qualifying employment in a specific job with the U.S. Government, private sector, or religious organization;

and

4. You want to preserve your continuous residence for naturalization purposes.

If U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves your Form N-470, your spouse and dependent unmarried

sons or daughters will receive the same benefit. All of them must be members of the same household and reside with you

while you reside outside the United States.

NOTE: You must still apply for a reentry permit in advance of trips outside the United States that you expect

to last for one year or more. Approval of Form N-470 does not exempt applicants from the physical presence

requirements for naturalization unless they are employed by, or under contract with the U.S. Government.

Continuous residency requirements for Form N-400

Generally, applicants who file Form N-400 must reside in the United States for five years immediately preceding the date

of filing. Additionally, USCIS requires applicants to have been physically present in the United States for at least 30

months of those 5 years.

NOTE: Qualifying spouses of U.S. citizens who file Form N-400 must reside in the United States for three years

immediately preceding the date of filing. Those spouses are required to have been physically present in the United States

for at least 18 months of those 3 years.

Lawful permanent residents who remain outside the United States for more than one uninterrupted year will disrupt their

residency requirement unless they are the beneficiaries of an approved Form N-470.

Exception for spouse of U.S. citizen employed by the U.S. Government, American institution of research, or an

American firm engaged in development of foreign trade with the United States.

A spouse of a U.S. citizen who is eligible for naturalization under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section

319(b) is not required to file Form N-470 to preserve continuous residence, as such spouses are exempted from

establishing the naturalization residency and physical presence requirements.

Form N-470 Instructions 12/23/16 N

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Instructions For Form N-470 - Application To Preserve Residence For Naturalization Purposes