When do I start counting my residency time for citizenship?

It is natural to have doubts about when the residency period for U.S. citizenship starts to be counted, especially for those investing through the EB-5 visa. This visa allows the investor and their dependents to become lawful permanent residents, and from that moment, the necessary time to eventually access the naturalization process begins to be counted. In general, the starting point to count the residency time is the day the lawful permanent resident status is effectively granted. This is when the investor receives their green card, and the date printed on it serves as the reference for the start of the counting.

From that day on, it is necessary to meet the continuous residence and physical presence requirements, which vary according to the category, with the standard rule generally requiring five years of permanent residence before being able to apply for citizenship. It is important to remember that only the time counted from the acquisition of permanent resident status (and not prior periods under other immigration statuses) will be considered for naturalization.

Keeping proper records of your travels and periods of absence from the United States can be essential to prove you have met the continuous residence requirements. Finally, we emphasize the importance of following all U.S. immigration laws and seeking information from reliable sources. Always look for specialized companies or consultations with qualified professionals (without this representing a specific recommendation) to ensure your process complies with current regulations. This way, you avoid falling for scams and marketing campaigns promising easy solutions or guaranteed results.

I hope this information has helped clarify your doubt and that you remain well informed throughout your immigration journey.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.