USCIS UPDATES KEY REQUIREMENT ON AN IMMIGRANT'S PATH TO CITIZENSHIP

One of the essential requirements to obtain U.S. citizenship through naturalization is that immigrants demonstrate continuous residence and physical presence in the United States for a required period of time before submitting the application.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") issued a policy alert in the agency's Policy Manual that addresses the effect of breaks in the continuity of residence on eligibility for naturalization.

The law stipulates that applicants must have maintained a residence in the US uninterruptedly for at least five years prior to applying for citizenship, after their permanent resident admission.