Is it really this "easy?" Applying for Citizenship after 5 yrs in US

[Tee and Megan 10]

Hi all!

Not to say that any part of immigration is "easy," but I want to make sure I'm reading this correctly. 

 

My husband's GC says he has been a resident since 09/19/2015. (He arrived in Oct. 2014 and we removed conditions in 2017)  This means, as of last week, that he's officially eligible to apply for Citizenship without needing to submit proof of our relationship/my citizenship, yes? I was reading through checklists, and as far as I can tell, he just needs to submit a copy of his GC, show that he's been residing here continuously for five years, and pass all the tests, of course. Is this correct? We don't have to submit a huge pile of evidence showing our home together, our insurance stuff together, our children together, etc?  

[PickleChips 56]

Nope, it's literally that "easy". Some people choose to wait 5 years instead of 3 because it's much simpler. They may ask questions about your marriage, etc at the interview but you don't have to submit all the extras that you would with a 3 year application. 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Yup. They may ask a couple of questions about the marriage to ensure the original basis for the green card was valid, but other than that..yes, it’s that easy. 

[pazzee 29]

Sorry for cutting into this thread. But, what are ways to prove residency for 5 years? We don't rent so there's no lease.  We bought a house earlier this year but it's in a trust and my name isn't on the deed. 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

3 hours ago, pazzee said:

Sorry for cutting into this thread. But, what are ways to prove residency for 5 years? We don't rent so there's no lease.  We bought a house earlier this year but it's in a trust and my name isn't on the deed. 

The 5 year residence is based on the continuous residence and physical presence requirements, which is calculated vs your trips outside the US. See https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/citizenship-and-naturalization/continuous-residence-and-physical-presence-requirements-for-naturalization

You generally don’t have to prove you’ve lived at particular addresses during that time.  If you have spent a lot of time outside the US or are trying to rebut a presumption that you’ve broken continuous residence, then you may need to.  Other ways include driver license, names on utility bills, credit card usage etc.

[NotMoreForms 68]

When I applied for N-400, I was expecting the usual mountain of paperwork, but there really is very little to submit.  I suggest you do it online, the system will tell you exactly what to submit and will not let you submit unless you have all questions answered.

 

I have not read of any proof of residence issues.  Owning a house does not prove it as you could easily rent it out.  They probably cross check your travel details to see how long you have been out of the country. 

 

[pazzee 29]

7 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

The 5 year residence is based on the continuous residence and physical presence requirements, which is calculated vs your trips outside the US. See https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/citizenship-and-naturalization/continuous-residence-and-physical-presence-requirements-for-naturalization

You generally don’t have to prove you’ve lived at particular addresses during that time.  If you have spent a lot of time outside the US or are trying to rebut a presumption that you’ve broken continuous residence, then you may need to.  Other ways include driver license, names on utility bills, credit card usage etc.

Thank you so much!