Free tool
When Can I Apply for Citizenship? Free Calculator
Enter your Green Card date to find your earliest Form N-400 filing date, check your time outside the U.S., and see if you qualify for an easier test.
Your dates stay in your browser. Nothing is sent to us or saved.
How the calculator works
Most applicants can apply for citizenship after 5 years as a lawful permanent resident, or after 3 years if they have been married to and living with the same U.S. citizen for those 3 years. USCIS also lets you file Form N-400 up to 90 days before you complete the residence period. The calculator adds the right number of years to your Green Card date, subtracts the 90-day window, and then checks the other dates that can push your filing date later.
The 90-day early filing rule
The early filing window applies only to the continuous residence period. On the marriage path, you must already have 3 years of marriage, and your spouse must already have been a citizen for 3 years, on the day USCIS receives your application. That is why a recent wedding or a recently naturalized spouse can move your date later than 90 days before your 3-year anniversary.
Filing even one day too early leads to a denial and a lost fee, so leave a margin of a few days.
Physical presence and long trips
You must have been physically inside the United States for at least half of the period: 30 months (913 days) on the 5-year path, or 18 months (548 days) on the 3-year path. The days you leave and return count as days in the U.S.
- A trip of more than 6 months but less than 1 year is presumed to break continuous residence. You can overcome it with evidence that you kept your job, home, taxes and family ties here.
- A trip of 1 year or more breaks continuous residence, unless you had an approved Form N-470 for certain work abroad.
Age-based test exceptions
Your age and years as a permanent resident on the day you file decide whether you can skip the English test:
- 50/20: 50 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident.
- 55/15: 55 or older with 15 years as a permanent resident.
- 65/20: 65 or older with 20 years, which also means studying only 20 civics questions.
If you are close to one of these dates, the calculator tells you when you would qualify, so you can decide whether waiting a few months is worth it.
What else you need
The date is only one part of eligibility. You also need 3 months in your state or USCIS district, good moral character, and basic English and civics knowledge unless an exception applies.
Read the USCIS Policy Manual on continuous residence and early filing
Common questions
Can I apply for citizenship before 5 years?
Yes, up to 90 days before you reach 5 years as a permanent resident. If you are married to and living with a U.S. citizen, you may qualify after 3 years instead.
Does time with a conditional Green Card count?
Yes. Your 2-year conditional residence counts toward the 5 or 3 years, as long as the conditions were removed or your Form I-751 is pending.
Which date on my Green Card should I use?
Use the "Resident Since" date. For refugees and asylees it is often earlier than the day the card was approved.
Is this calculator official?
No. It follows the rules in the Immigration and Nationality Act and USCIS guidance, but it is a planning tool. Confirm your date with USCIS before you file.