A Permanent Resident Card proves LPR status. It is not US citizenship. Naturalization on Form N-400 is a separate grant that adds a US passport path, voting rights, and freedom from green-card renewals once the oath is complete. You must already hold permanent residence through a route such as applying for permanent residence before this page applies.
Who can file Form N-400?
Under the general rule you must be at least 18, have been an LPR for at least five years, show continuous residence for that period, live in the USCIS district or state of filing for at least three months, and show physical presence in the United States for at least 30 months (913 days). Qualifying spouses of US citizens who meet the marriage-based naturalization rules generally use a three-year LPR clock and 18 months of physical presence instead.
Absences of more than six months but less than one year can disrupt continuous residence unless you overcome the presumption. Absences of one year or more generally break continuous residence for naturalization. Holding a green card while living mainly abroad does not by itself meet presence. USCIS allows filing up to 90 days before you complete the required continuous-residence period as an LPR, but you are not naturalized until you meet the full statutory time and take the oath.
Keep travel histories and tax records. If the plastic card is expiring while you prepare N-400, renew it separately with Form I-90 as explained in getting a Permanent Resident Card; applying for citizenship does not erase the duty to carry a valid card.
What happens after you file?
Create or use a USCIS online account when online filing is available, pay the current fee schedule amount, and attend biometrics when scheduled. At the interview, USCIS reviews your Form N-400 answers and tests English reading, writing, and speaking plus a civics exam of US history and government, unless an age, long-term LPR, or medical disability exception applies. Practical English expectations for daily life and bureaucracy sit in English language requirements.
If USCIS approves the case, you still are not a citizen until you take the Oath of Allegiance at a ceremony. After the oath, return the Permanent Resident Card as instructed and apply for a US passport if you need travel documents. Keep your mailing address current so interview and ceremony notices arrive: update address with USCIS.
Common misconceptions
Five years with a green card in a drawer abroad is not the same as five years of continuous residence and physical presence.
Filing N-400 early under the 90-day rule does not let you skip the interview, English and civics requirements, or the oath.
Summary
Confirm LPR time, continuous residence, physical presence, and good-moral-character readiness, then file Form N-400.
Treat English, civics, the interview, and the oath as required stages after filing, and renew the green card on its own timeline until citizenship is granted.
Sources
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