At a glance
| Country | Time required | Time abroad allowed | Check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 5 years as a permanent resident (3 if married to and living with a US citizen). You can file 90 days early. | At least 913 days physically present (548 on the 3-year route). A trip over 6 months is presumed to break continuous residence, and 1 year or more breaks it. | N-400 calculator |
| United Kingdom | 5 years' residence, plus ILR or settled status held for 12 months (3 years and no 12-month wait if married to a British citizen) | No more than 450 days in 5 years (270 in 3), and no more than 90 in the last 12 months | UK citizenship calculator |
| Canada | 1,095 days physically present in the 5 years before applying | Anything beyond that. Up to 365 days of credit for time in Canada before PR, at half a day each. | Canada calculator |
| Australia | 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, including the last 12 months as a permanent resident | No more than 12 months in the 4 years, and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months | Australia calculator |
| New Zealand | 5 years on a residence class visa | At least 1,350 days in NZ in total, and at least 240 in each of the 5 years | NZ calculator |
| Ireland | 5 years of reckonable residence in the last 9 years, including 1 continuous year right before applying (3 years for spouses of Irish citizens) | Up to 70 days abroad in each year relied on, plus up to 30 more in exceptional circumstances | Official ISD residency calculator |
These are the main residence rules for adults on the standard routes. Every country also has requirements such as good character, language and knowledge tests, and some have faster routes for particular groups.
Three things that trip people up
1. Rolling windows versus fixed periods
The UK's 90-day rule and New Zealand's 240-day rule are checked against specific 12-month periods counted back from your application date. A long trip that straddles two periods can be fine, or can sink an application, depending on exactly when you apply. That's why our calculators give you the earliest date you meet every rule, not just a yes or no.
2. Time before permanent residence
Canada gives partial credit for time spent in the country before becoming a permanent resident, and Australia counts it toward the 4 years. The US, UK (for the citizenship absence count) and New Zealand only count time with the right status.
3. How travel days are counted
In every country above, the day you leave and the day you return count as days in the country. Only full days abroad are absences. See how each country counts travel days.