I currently reside in the US and a green card holder since February, 2009. An abrupt situation is forcing me to go back to my home country for unknown amount of time. Is it true that an alien applying for naturalization must physically reside in the U.S. for one half the period of continuous residence? Means I must be physically present in the U.S. accumulatively for thirty months (since I’m not married to a U.S. citizen) within five years prior to the date of filing the naturalization application and this requirement is cumulative and not continuous. This means that I can leave and come back to the U.S. within the five years as much as I want as long as my total time spent in the United States adds up to the thirty months and the amount of each absence doesn’t exceed 6 months?

Ed