Absences from the U.S. for permanent residents
If you are a legal permanent resident, you are expected to live in the United States. You can still travel abroad and spend extended periods outside the country, but you may need to take steps to establish the trip as a temporary absence.
Eligibility for U.S. citizenship
Eligibility for U.S. citizenship after permanent residence requires that you live in the United States for five continuous years, or three continuous years if you obtained permanent residence based on marriage to a U.S. citizen. If you are abroad for more than 365 days, this requirement starts over.
Here is an example: You are married to a U.S. citizen, so your requirement is three years. You live here for one year without leaving the country. Then you spend 13 months abroad. When you return, you must live here for three more years before you are eligible to become a U.S. citizen.
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