General Info on Naturalization

[doninmichigan2004 0]

See Section 8 of the FAQ's for general information on becoming a US Citizen.

Here is the USCIS Guide and FAQ on becoming a Citizen of the US.

as far as a Conditional Permanent Resident spouse of a USC, when does the timeline start? It's very confusing, can't find the answer anywhere, on here or on USCIS.

[doninmichigan2004 0]

what I mean is, it is said that a foriegn spouse of a USC is eligible to apply for Naturalization after three years of continuous Permanent Residency, but nowhere can I find out, if this includes the two years of Conditional.

my wife just received her 10 year green card yesterday, so I'm wondering, are we eligible to apply for USC on her three year immigration anniversary this Sept., or do we have to wait until three years from yesterday?

[Kevin&Jessica 3]

I was granted a visa waiver when I first entered the United States in April of '04. I got married before it expired, then divorced, and in '07 got married again. I have always heard that after 5 years you are eligible to naturalize. But after reading the above posts it looks like that is only possible if I was originally granted permanent residence status. Is that true or is there an exception I am not seeing? Do you have to be a permanent resident AND lived in the US consecutively for 5 years, or one or the other? I meet all other requirements and will be really upset if I am not eligible under this law.

[Feliz 0]

FIELD OFFICES: for people waiting for Interview Letter

Interview Date depends on FBI Name Check clearance and on now busy is your Local Field Office, so don't compare your own priority date and progress to any other Service Centers or Filed Offices timelines - only compare with your own.

Locate your Field Office by zip here: https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=of....office_type=LO

Find your Field Office's official processing dates https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/jsps/ptimes.jsp

Find people from your Field Office on this forum or others, for example this one has lots of Field Office specific info:

http://boards.immigrationportal.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18

If you find out that your own Field Office is processing or sending Interview Letters to cases with Priority Date 2-3 weeks later then your own, but you haven't received your Interview Letter yet, you can make Infopass apointment and find out if you are still on name check or already in your Field Office's line for Interview.

[Feliz 0]

I was granted a visa waiver when I first entered the United States in April of '04. I got married before it expired, then divorced, and in '07 got married again. I have always heard that after 5 years you are eligible to naturalize. But after reading the above posts it looks like that is only possible if I was originally granted permanent residence status. Is that true or is there an exception I am not seeing? Do you have to be a permanent resident AND lived in the US consecutively for 5 years, or one or the other? I meet all other requirements and will be really upset if I am not eligible under this law.

Topangel (and others), please try to ask your question by creating a new thread, you will get more attention and answers, this thread is mainly for information, not questions.

as to your question:

EVERYBODY UNSURE OF NATURALIZATION ELIGIBILITY use this official Naturalization Eligibility Worksheet (M-480) http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/M-480.pdf

[Feliz 0]

what I mean is, it is said that a foriegn spouse of a USC is eligible to apply for Naturalization after three years of continuous Permanent Residency, but nowhere can I find out, if this includes the two years of Conditional.

my wife just received her 10 year green card yesterday, so I'm wondering, are we eligible to apply for USC on her three year immigration anniversary this Sept., or do we have to wait until three years from yesterday?

please next time ask questions in a new thread or other similar existing thread, this thread is mainly for information, not questions

as to your question - yes, 2 conditional years count towards total 3 required years for spouses of US citizen, so your wife can apply 3 years after the date on her Green Card that says "RESIDENT SINCE" - this date is same on 2 year and 10 year green cards. Also check here eligibility in this official worksheet http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/M-480.pdf

[Feliz 0]

FIELD OFFICES: for people waiting for Interview Letter

Interview Date depends on FBI Name Check clearance and on now busy is your Local Field Office, so don't compare your own priority date and progress to any other Service Centers or Filed Offices timelines - only compare with your own.

Locate your Field Office by zip here: https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=of....office_type=LO

Find your Field Office's official processing dates https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/jsps/ptimes.jsp

Find people from your Field Office on this forum or others, for example this one has lots of Field Office specific info:

http://boards.immigrationportal.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18

If you find out that your own Field Office is processing or sending Interview Letters to cases with Priority Date 2-3 weeks later then your own, but you haven't received your Interview Letter yet, you can make Infopass apointment and find out if you are still on name check or already in your Field Office's line for Interview.

updated version:

After you file N400 USCIS starts process by cashing check and initiating FBI Name check and Fingerprints, so once you got findgerprinted consider process launched. Only after FBI clears main (4) Service Center puts you in line for an Interview Date at your Field Office, once they find spot (ma take 2-3 month in busy offices, see step 3) and schedule your interview, your case is sent to Field Office and you receive your Interview Appointment Letter. After that procedues are very specific to Field Offices, some give you Oath letter right away, some send it 2 month later, so check with your Field Office's people's experiences only, don't read (or rehearse) just random or over 6 month old Interview descriptions.

1) Locate your Field Office by ZIP code here: https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=of....office_type=LO

2) Find your Field Office's official processing dates (update usually on 15th of each month)

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/jsps/ptimes.jsp

3) Find people with close to yours Priority Date (PD) from your Field Office on this forum or others, for example this one has lots of Field Office specific info:

http://boards.immigrationportal.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18

4) wait until people with PD LATER then yours start receiving Interview letters, schedule Infopass - usually 2 weeks ahead, if still not received, go to Infopass and Inquire about case status - it may be

A. stuck on "Name Check" - then you are unlucky

B. "FBI Clear all checks and it's forwarded to Field Office , expect interview letter within 60 days"

either way go home and schedule another Infopass within 2 weeks - if no letter - schedule another Infopass in 2 more weeks,

if no letter within 4-6 weeks of fact that people who filed after you got their letters from your field office, start considering filing lawsuit against USCIS about delayed Name Check and read about it. your main document could be that that NOA1 gives you X amount of days and that is passed.

5) once you receive Interview letter - make sure you prepare for Civics and prepare to give evidence and clear confident answers for any abnormal parts of your application that could make you ineligible - it means within 3 (for US citizen spouses) or 5 years such things as: a lots of traveling, separate address with US spouse, job abroad, name change, oath word change, crime and legal issues, taxes, communism, terrorism etc.

6) if you happen to confuse Officer on Interview about your unclear eligibility, they may say "Approval pending" and they "need supervisor's approval of case", which may take another 2-4 month, but in this case you have much more right to file lawsuit - as your after interview letter states amount of days to expect decision.

Good Luck to everybody!

[Feliz 0]

Detailed explanation of USCIS N400 FBI Name Check http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=136848

[Feliz 0]

another detailed instruction and FAQ about filing n400 http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=213961

i think this topic need to be cleaned up of asked questions and leave only useful links and , because day after day newcomers ask same questions without reading this topic.

[LARA-LYN 0]

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR NATURALIZATION AFTER APPLICATION OF SOMBODY WHO IS UNDER 18 YRS OF AGE AND BEEN IN THE COUNTRY FOR 10 YEARS WITH AN AMERICAN BORN CITIZEN MOTHER.

WHAT PROCESS SHOULD THEY FOLLOW?

[Zil 1]

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR NATURALIZATION AFTER APPLICATION OF SOMBODY WHO IS UNDER 18 YRS OF AGE AND BEEN IN THE COUNTRY FOR 10 YEARS WITH AN AMERICAN BORN CITIZEN MOTHER.

WHAT PROCESS SHOULD THEY FOLLOW?

Are you kidding? That person is a US Citizen deriving citizenship from parent. No need for naturalization. Only application for a Certificate of Citizenship is needed if the child does not yet have a US birth certificate or a US passport.

[Andy second 0]

Very useful naturalization test study ad: old test, new test, practice in writing. All audible. www.citizenshipexam.com

[Andy second 0]

Very useful naturalization test study ad: old test, new test, practice in writing. All audible. www.citizenshipexam.com

Please disregard my previous post.

I submitted wrong address . Right website address is www.passcitizenshipexam.com

[lucyrich 20]

I've noticed several questions being asked repeatedly over the past few months, so here's my attempt to answer them, in the (perhaps foolish) belief that some people might look here before posting their question.

When can I apply, if I got my green card based on marriage?

Normally, 90 days before you've had your green card for three years, but only if you meet all the other requirements. See the box at the bottom of page 22 of the M-476 for more explanation. The "resident since" date printed on the front of your green card is the date when to start counting, assuming you haven't had broken your period of continuous residence by taking long trips outside the US.

Note that, to apply based on a marriage, all three of the following must be true simultaneously

* You must have held a green card and been residing in the US for three years (a 90 day shortcut is allowed on this point ONLY)

* You must have been married to and living with your US Citizen spouse for a full three years.

* Your spouse must have been a US Citizen for a full three years.

Your filing date is determined by the LAST one of the above things to be met. Most VJ'ers will meet the "three years less 90 days with a green card" test last. But VJ'ers who came in on a CR-1 visa and only started to live together on the same day they got their green card may meet the "three full years married to and living with your USC Spouse" test last, since that test doesn't allow a 90 day shortcut.

Does the three years count from when I remove conditions or when I first got a conditional green card?

It starts from when you got your first (conditional) green card. INA 216(e) says that a conditional green card is as good as any other green card for the purpose of accumulating continuous residence time for naturalization. See the "resident since" date printed on the front of your green card. Many people will apply for citizenship approximately one year after they file their I-751 for removal of conditions.

Can I apply before my I-751 for removal of conditions is approved?

Yes. They'll probably have to issue a decision on both of them at your citizenship interview, but that's something for them to sort out through their internal procedures. You can go ahead and file as soon as you're eligible, and eligibility to file doesn't depend on having the I-751 approved.

What happens if I divorce or if my US Citizen spouse dies before I take the naturalization oath?

You become ineligible to become a citizen based on the "three years married to US Citizen" provision. You can still apply for citizenship when you have completed five years (less 90 days) with a green card.

I'm applying based on three years of permanent residence, but the N-400 asks in part 6 about residence and employment for the past five years, and in part 7 it asks about days and trips outside the US for the past five years. What do I do?

The law only cares about the past three years, but the form very clearly asks about five. You can take the questions literally and answer them for the past five years. You won't be denied or delayed for showing a bunch of time outside the US if you do this. People have also reported success by striking out the word "five" and writing "three", and answering the questions for the past three years. Whatever you do, don't lie or mislead. At your interview, expect the officer to go over the N-400 and get the information that they really need about the past three years, regardless of how you interpret those written questions. Note that question 7C asks about trips "since becoming a lawful permanent resident", without saying anything about any particular time period, so answer it as written.

After I become a citizen, can I travel immediately?

The day you become a US Citizen, the law treats you just like any other US Citizen who hasn't yet obtained his first US passport. You need to apply for and receive a US passport before travelling internationally. Note that INA 215(b) says that it's illegal for a US Citizen to enter or leave the United States unless he carries a US Passport (limited exceptions for Canada/Mexico travel are being phased out in June 2009). They take your green card away at the oath ceremony, so if you ignored the law and attempted to travel on your old foreign passport, you would probably have no way to enter the US.

[NYPeach 13]

lucyrich, thanks for the great post.