N400-absences from the US

[cindee]

I'm a permanent resident greencard holder thinking about applying for citizenship. I can't remember all the dates I've been in and out of the country since I was a teenager.
How does USCIS keep track of your dates? Do they double check your dates against what they have? Should I just guess?

[JayanthN]

N400 absences

The dates,of course are required to demonstrate that you have had continuous residence that will qualify a person to apply for citizenship. Typically immigration stamps at the time of arrival/departure for different countries will serve as proof. But if one is travelling to countries like Canada then both these stamps may not be available. In such cases guessing may be OK, but the onus will be on you to prove that you were not gone long enough to reset the residency requirement clock. Proof such as pay stubs for work in US may be used that one was not gone for a while I guess.