Continuous Residence vs. Physical Presence Arithmetic
U.S. Naturalization Test (2025 Standard) glossary · English
Definition
Keep two ledgers. Physical presence counts actual time inside the United States—normally at least 30 of 60 months for the five-year path or 18 of 36 months for the three-year spouse path. Continuous residence asks whether your U.S. home remained uninterrupted; a more-than-six-month absence may create a rebuttable presumption even when the day count is sufficient.
Continuous Residence vs. Physical Presence Arithmetic in plain English
There are two separate scorecards you must pass, and they measure different things. 'Physical presence' is a simple day-count of time actually spent inside the U.S., usually at least 30 of the last 60 months (five-year path) or 18 of the last 36 months (three-year path if married to a citizen). 'Continuous residence' instead asks whether the U.S. stayed your unbroken home, and a single trip longer than six months can raise a red flag (a 'rebuttable presumption,' meaning an assumption you can argue against) even if your total days inside the country look fine. So you can pass the day-count and still trip on continuity, which is why you track both ledgers separately.
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