N-470 Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes
Protects the continuous residence needed for naturalisation while a permanent resident works abroad for a year or more for the U.S. government, an American research institution, a qualifying U.S. company, or a recognised religious organisation. It must be filed before a year of absence is complete.
- Fee
- $420
- Fee waiver
- Available (Form I-912)
- Who files
- Permanent residents going abroad for qualifying employment.
- Where to file
- By mail to the USCIS lockbox named in the instructions.
Usually filed with
Part of these processes
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- It preserves continuous residence but not physical presence, and it does not protect the green card itself - a reentry permit on Form I-131 does that. Both are usually needed.
Official page. https://www.uscis.gov/n-470. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.