Learn About An Important Concept: The Three-Month Residency Requirement For U.S. Citizenship
The Three-Month Residency Requirement is a small but important detail that people need to be aware of when applying for U.S. citizenship. If a person has moved to a new city within the last three months, they may have ended up in a new USCIS service area. USCIS requires that an applicant must have lived in the same service area for three months before applying.
Video
This 4-minute video explains the idea of the three-month residency requirement and gives some examples of when it is and is not met.
Handout
You can download and share a 15-page handout explaining the three-month residency requirement for U.S. citizenship. It includes the same information as the video.
English - What is the Three-Month Residency Requirement?
Discussion Questions
Here are some questions you can use to discuss the three-month residency requirement.
1. Do You Meet The Requirement Right Now?
Have you moved in the last 3 months? If yes, use the USCIS website to check if your old address and new address are in the same service area. What did you find?
2. Planning For The Future
Imagine you want to apply for citizenship in 6 months, but your family might need to move to a different state for work. What would you do? Should you apply now or wait until after the move?
3. Understanding the Rule
In your own words, explain the difference between moving to a new apartment in your city versus moving to a different state. Why does one affect your citizenship application but the other might not?
4. Real-Life Examples
Look at the three people in the document - Maria, John, and Ahmed. Which person's situation is most similar to yours? What can you learn from their example?
5. Getting Help
If you're not sure whether your move affects your citizenship application, what are three things you could do to find the right answer? (Think about websites, people, or organizations that could help you.)
Using These Resources
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