N-400 Early Filing Calculator: Residence and Physical Presence

N-400 early filing calculator

Find the earliest date to file Form N-400: 5 or 3 years of residence, the 90-day early filing rule, 913 or 548 days of physical presence and trips abroad.

To file Form N-400, a permanent resident generally needs 5 years of continuous residence and at least 913 days of physical presence in the United States in those 5 years (3 years and 548 days when married to, and living with, a U.S. citizen), and can file up to 90 days before the anniversary of the green card date. Sources: 8 U.S.C. 1427, 8 U.S.C. 1430, 8 CFR 334.2(b), USCIS Policy Manual.

Which way are you applying?

Green card date (“Resident Since”)

The date you became a lawful permanent resident.

Date of birth (optional)

Used for the age of 18 and the age-based test exemptions.

By the date you file, will you have lived at least 3 months in your state or USCIS district?

If you file early, USCIS counts these 3 months before the interview (8 CFR 316.2(a)(5)).

Trips outside the United States

List every trip in the last 5 years, and any time spent outside the United States before your green card date in that period (for example before arriving with an immigrant visa). The day you leave and the day you come back count as days in the United States (Policy Manual D.4).

Answer the questions above to see the dates.

Filing fee

Form N-400 costs $760 on paper or $710 online; $380 on paper for a household income at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; no fee in some military cases (8 CFR 106.2, 106.1(g)). A fee waiver can be requested, for example with a means-tested benefit or a household income at or below 150% of the guidelines (8 CFR 106.3).

Proposed, not in effect: a proposed rule of June 23, 2026 would raise the paper fee to $1,330 and end the reduced fee and fee waivers for Form N-400 (91 FR 37500). Nothing here is calculated with it.

Rules used

Rule	Value	Source
Continuous residence	5 years after the green card date; 3 years for a spouse of a U.S. citizen	8 U.S.C. 1427(a), 1430(a)
Physical presence	913 days in 5 years; 548 days in 3 years; departure and return days count as present	8 CFR 316.2(a)(4), Policy Manual D.4, G.3
Early filing	Up to 90 days before the anniversary (law: “up to 3 months”)	8 CFR 334.2(b), 8 U.S.C. 1445(a)
Absences	More than 180 days: presumed break, can be rebutted; 365 days or more: break	8 U.S.C. 1427(b), 8 CFR 316.5(c), Policy Manual D.3
State or district	3 months before filing (before the interview if filed early)	8 CFR 316.2(a)(5)
Age	18 at filing	8 U.S.C. 1445(b)
English and civics	English exemption at 50 with 20 years or 55 with 15 years; special civics consideration at 65 with 20 years	8 U.S.C. 1423(b), 8 CFR 312.1, Policy Manual E.2

Law: 8 U.S.C., 2024 edition; regulation: 8 CFR as of October 1, 2026; USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12. Checked on October 4, 2026.

Not covered

Good moral character, criminal records and attachment to the Constitution.
Members of the armed forces and veterans (INA 328 and 329).
Children (INA 320 and 322), conditional permanent residents.
Form N-470 for work abroad, a nonresident tax status, departures under a removal order.
Spouses who were battered or subjected to extreme cruelty, and INA 319(b).
Medical exceptions to the English and civics tests (Form N-648).
Residence in the Northern Mariana Islands before November 28, 2009.

About this tool

Why use this tool

Filing Form N-400 too early can lead to a denial and a lost fee, and the time rules are easy to misread: the residence period, the days of physical presence, the 90-day early filing window and the effect of long trips abroad all count from different dates. This calculator works out, from your green card date and your trips, from which date the time requirements appear to be met under the USCIS method. It is a date checker: it does not decide whether an application would be approved.

How it works

The general route needs 5 years of continuous residence after becoming a permanent resident and physical presence for at least half of that time (8 U.S.C. 1427(a)); USCIS counts this as 913 days (Policy Manual D.4). Spouses of U.S. citizens living in marital union need 3 years and 548 days (8 U.S.C. 1430(a), Policy Manual G.3). You can file up to 90 days before the anniversary (8 CFR 334.2(b)); the law says up to 3 months (8 U.S.C. 1445(a)). The day you leave and the day you come back count as days in the United States. An absence of more than 180 days in the period is presumed to break continuous residence unless you show otherwise; an absence of a year or more breaks it, and you can then file 4 years and 1 day after your return on the general route, or 2 years and 1 day on the spouse route (8 CFR 316.5(c)).

Real example

A green card dated November 15, 2021 completes 5 years on November 15, 2026, so the N-400 can be filed from August 17, 2026, 90 days earlier. The 5 years before that date start on August 17, 2021, three months before the green card: counted over the whole period, someone who never left has 1,826 days of presence; counted only from the green card date, 1,736. Both are above 913, so the result is the same either way; when only one count reaches 913, the calculator says so, because USCIS does not state which method it uses.

Practical tips

List every trip, with the dates on your passport stamps or travel records: USCIS relies on documents, not on the green card alone. Before a long stay abroad for work, look at Form N-470, which must be filed before a year away. If you file from October 20, 2025, you take the 2025 civics test: 12 correct answers out of 20 (Policy Manual E.2). The filing fee is $760 on paper or $710 online (8 CFR 106.2); a proposed rule would raise it, but it is not in effect.

Disclaimer

Dates under the law, regulations and USCIS Policy Manual checked on October 4, 2026. This calculator checks the time requirements only; it does not assess good moral character, criminal records or any other condition, and does not cover the armed forces, children or conditional residents. USCIS's own early filing calculator is archived; see the Form N-400 page.

Frequently asked questions

When can I file Form N-400?⌄

Up to 90 days before you complete the residence period: 5 years as a permanent resident, or 3 years if you have been living in marital union with a U.S. citizen spouse. USCIS counts back 90 days from the anniversary of your green card date. The law itself says up to 3 months.Source: 8 CFR 334.2(b), USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part D, Ch. 6, 8 U.S.C. 1445

How many days do I need to be physically present?⌄

At least 913 days in the 5 years before filing on the general route, or 548 days in the 3 years before filing as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. USCIS counts the day you leave and the day you come back as days in the United States.Source: USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part D, Ch. 4, USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part G, Ch. 3

Does a long trip abroad break continuous residence?⌄

An absence of more than 6 months but less than a year is presumed to break it, unless you show, for example, that you kept your job and your home in the United States. An absence of a year or more breaks it: you can then file 4 years and 1 day after returning on the 5-year route, or 2 years and 1 day on the 3-year route.Source: 8 U.S.C. 1427(b), 8 CFR 316.5

Do I need to live in my state before filing?⌄

Yes, at least 3 months in the state or USCIS district where you file. If you file early, USCIS counts these 3 months before the interview.Source: 8 CFR 316.2

Which civics test will I take?⌄

If you file on or after October 20, 2025, the 2025 civics test: an officer asks up to 20 questions from a bank of 128, and you need 12 correct answers. Applicants aged 50 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident, or 55 or older with 15 years, are exempt from the English test and can take the civics test in their own language, in the Policy Manual's words; the law says over 50 and over 55, with periods totaling 20 or 15 years of living in the United States.Source: USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part E, Ch. 2, 8 U.S.C. 1423

How much does Form N-400 cost?⌄

$760 on paper or $710 online, or $380 on paper with a household income at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; a fee waiver can be requested in some cases. A rule proposed in June 2026 would raise the fee and end the reduced fee and waivers, but it is not in effect.Source: 8 CFR 106.2, USCIS — Form N-400, Federal Register, 91 FR 37500