How does a late Adjustment of Status filing affect the naturalization timeline?

[robrosen 0]

If an applicant does an Adjustment of Status filing a couple of years after the marriage, while remaining resident stateside, do those years of residency count towards the time required for naturalization? Or does the clock towards citizenship start only after the Green Card is issued?

[Boiler 46,135]

GC shows your resident since date.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Boiler

[Tim/Mav 305]

After the AOS is Approved the "Clock" starts. But, Thats the most Screwed-Up Clock there is. (There is No measurement) So your Answer is NO. There is no exception for time stayed in the US. Make Sense. ?

Edited February 13, 2015 by Tim/Mav

[robrosen 0]

GC shows your resident since date.

And that would show the date of issue of the Green Card or the date of the I-94?

[Boiler 46,135]

What I 94?

[robrosen 0]

What I 94?

The stateside entry date.

[sadavis5 46]

And that would show the date of issue of the Green Card or the date of the I-94?

My husband's shows the date of issue of the GC. I bet the clock starts whenever you get the GC.

[Boiler 46,135]

Immigrant visa entrants are not issued a I 94.

[robrosen 0]

My husband's shows the date of issue of the GC. I bet the clock starts whenever you get the GC.

That's a big consideration for someone whose fiancee is looking to get certain government jobs that are open only to citizens. Thanks.

Immigrant visa entrants are not issued a I 94.

My mistake. I meant whatever the date of entry into the country was.

[Umka36 781]

You May Qualify for Naturalization if:

• You have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years and meet all other eligibility requirements, please visit our Path to Citizenship page for more information.
• You have been a permanent resident for 3 years or more and meet all eligibility requirements to file as a spouse of a U.S. citizen, please visit our Naturalization for Spouses of U.S. Citizens page for more information.
• You have qualifying service in the U.S. armed forces and meet all other eligibility requirements. Visit the Military section of our website.
• Your child may qualify for naturalization if you are a U.S. citizen, the child was born outside the U.S., the child is currently residing outside the U.S., and all other eligibility requirements are met. Visit our Citizenship Through Parents page for more information.

You may qualify through other paths to naturalization if you do not qualify through the paths described in the links to the left. See also the USCIS Policy Manual Citizenship and Naturalization Guidance and our A Guide to Naturalization guide. Chapter 4 of the guide discusses who is eligible for naturalization.

http://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/citizenship-through-naturalization

[belinda63 3,047]

You aren't a resident until your green card is approved. Many people have lived in the US for many, many years but are not eligible to become a citizen because they never had a green card.

The date of resident since is what starts the clock towards your ability to file for citizenship. In other words none of the time you have spent here in the US since arriving counts.

[TBoneTX 46,158]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the US Citizenship forum -- topic involves naturalization. ***

[Hank_ 9,174]

If an applicant does an Adjustment of Status filing a couple of years after the marriage, while remaining resident stateside, do those years of residency count towards the time required for naturalization? Or does the clock towards citizenship start only after the Green Card is issued?

Requirement for naturalization is being a Legal Permanent Resident for a certain amount of time. Can't be an LPR until you are approved for your green card.

[Pinkrlion 2,724]

It is the date of approval on your green card, not the time you have been married. We are in the same situation, we are now two years behind in appying for citizenship, because it took almost two years for GC to be approved.

[Fan_Dancer 171]

If an applicant does an Adjustment of Status filing a couple of years after the marriage, while remaining resident stateside, do those years of residency count towards the time required for naturalization? Or does the clock towards citizenship start only after the Green Card is issued?

No, the time spent in the US without the green card do not count towards naturalization.