Part 9. Time Outside the United States

You will need to prove that you spent the required minimum amount of time in the U.S. in the years leading up to filing your N-400 and that your visits outside the United States (including to Canada and Mexico as well as any other countries) did not last too long.

Physical Presence
Certain applicants must meet physical presence requirements in the United States. Physical presence refers to the number of days you must be physically present in the United States during the required statutory period before you file Form N-400. 

In general, you must have been physically present in the United States for a period or periods totaling at least half of the required continuous residence period. We will count the day that you depart from the United States and the day you return as days of physical presence within the United States for naturalization purposes. 

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