Most legal permanent residents must live in the United States for five years before they apply for U.S. citizenship, also called “naturalization.” The residency requirement is three years if you are married to a U.S. citizen. But what happens if your Indiana University job requires you to go abroad?
An absence that lasts less than 365 days is generally fine. If you are going to be outside the country for more than one year, however, your trip will disrupt your residency requirement for naturalization—unless you file Form N-470.