Learn About An Important Concept: Continuous Residence Requirement For U.S. Citizenship
Continuous residence is an important concept to understand if you are thinking about applying for U.S. citizenship. Think of it as maintaining your home base in the United States. This doesn't mean you can never leave the country—it just means that the U.S. needs to be your primary place of residence.
Video
This 4-minute video explains the idea of continuous residence and gives some examples of when it is and is not met.
Handout
You can download and share a 15-page handout explaining the continuous residence requirement for U.S. citizenship. It includes the same information as the video.
English - What is Continuous Residence?
Spanish - ¿Qué es la residencia continua?
Discussion Questions
Here are some questions you can use to discuss the continuous residence requirement.
1. Short, Medium, and Long Trips
The presentation talks about short trips (under 6 months), medium trips (6-12 months), and long trips (over a year). Which types of trip can make it hard to become a U.S. citizen?
2. How Ahmed Kept His Residence
Ahmed kept his continuous residence by keeping his apartment, job, and bank accounts in the U.S. What other things could someone do to show the U.S. is still their "home base" when they travel?
3. What could Jin have done differently?
Jin lost his continuous residence when he moved to Singapore for 18 months. What things did he do that showed he wasn't keeping the U.S. as his main home?
4. Your "home base"
What does it mean for the United States to be your "true home base"? How can you prove this to immigration officials?
5. Traveling Abroad For Extended Periods
What would you do if you needed to travel outside the U.S. for more than 6 months but still wanted to keep your continuous residence for citizenship? What plans would you make?
Using These Resources
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