Is their a deadline for filing n-400?

[JeffandNadine 14]

We filed the I-751 for 10 year green card and are still waiting for an interview date. I saw that the n-400 can filed 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen and can be filed within 90 days. Is the n-400 rejected if it is filed after the 3 year mark or doesn’t it matter if it is filed a couple days or weeks after the three year mark?

[Crazy Cat 41,844]

An N-400 can be filed at any time in the future after the 90-day window opens, even after the 3-year mark.  It will not be rejected for late filing.

 

Note:  3 years married to USC AND 3 years as a Green card holder. 

Edited December 20, 2022 by Crazy Cat

[OldUser 6,639]

There is no requirement to naturalize and no specific date to apply for N-400. You can live entire life as green card holder if you want.

[iwannaplay54 985]

2 hours ago, JeffandNadine said:

We filed the I-751 for 10 year green card and are still waiting for an interview date. I saw that the n-400 can filed 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen and can be filed within 90 days. Is the n-400 rejected if it is filed after the 3 year mark or doesn’t it matter if it is filed a couple days or weeks after the three year mark?

The clock starts when you become a PR.

It doesnt matter when you file after the three year mark.  It looks like you were approved around March, 2020 which means your 90 day window is imminent.

Edited December 20, 2022 by iwannaplay54

[Shane & Len 11]

Personal experience.  If you want to file the N-400 do it.  No worries on late filing, however, it does seem to hasten the I751 process (not that it matters in the end - just nice to have it done.)  We sit on the I 751 for nearly 2 years - filed the N400 and 6 or 7 months later - both are scheduled, approved and my wife is in queue awaiting oath ceremony.  I believe that if we had filed as soon as it was clear to do so, she would already be a citizen, and it would have saved us needless months of waiting on the I 751.

[Mike E 11,739]

I filed n-400 27 years late.  They still approved me.  

[OldUser 6,639]

@Shane & Len I-751s take 2 years give or take nowadays, regardless of N-400.

Edited December 21, 2022 by OldUser

[Shane & Len 11]

12 minutes ago, OldUser said:

@Shane & Len I-751s take 2 years give or take nowadays, regardless of N-400.

Not saying the N-400 would shorten it under 2 years (ours was over 2 years before we even filed the N400 - so 2 years is a pipe dream - ask almost anyone who filed in 2020!

I am just saying our estimated date for the I751 from USCIS site was still another 9 months from now - the estimated time frame we were getting put us at August next year - aka 39 months from filing.

But once the N400 was scheduled the I 751 moved with it.

Or at least it appeared to

My son's I 751 was filed at the same time - same envelope even as my wife's - he has no N 400 filed and is still waiting on his I 751.

Their biometrics and all communications from USCIS happened together - until her N 400 was filed then her application started moving - his did not.

Coincidence? perhaps.  But a strange one if it is.

 

Regardless, if you want to file the N400 there is nothing to be gained by waiting - and to respond to the OP no penalty for waiting.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Shane & Len

[ImmigrantKrish 75]

Take it with a grain of salt, but I have read on several forums applying N-400 would speed up the I-751. It could be coincidence or its related, but thats how I read it.

Edited December 21, 2022 by ImmigrantKrish

[SalishSea 17,824]

1 hour ago, Shane & Len said:

Personal experience.  If you want to file the N-400 do it.  No worries on late filing, however, it does seem to hasten the I751 process (not that it matters in the end - just nice to have it done.)  We sit on the I 751 for nearly 2 years - filed the N400 and 6 or 7 months later - both are scheduled, approved and my wife is in queue awaiting oath ceremony.  I believe that if we had filed as soon as it was clear to do so, she would already be a citizen, and it would have saved us needless months of waiting on the I 751.

'Late filing' isn't a thing for citizenship.  There is no need to file, ever.

[Loren Y 2,755]

I would file the N400. My wife had her I751 pending for over a year, just filed the N400 on November 19th this year online. All of a sudden....19 days after we filed the N400, I751 was approved without interview, and 5 days later had 10 year green card in hand. I think the N400 Bumped the I751, but it could have just been a coincidence.

[Shane & Len 11]

7 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

'Late filing' isn't a thing for citizenship.  There is no need to file, ever.

I answered a question and shared an experience.  The term late filing was intended to indicate filing outside of the initial 90 day window and not to imply there was a requirement to file within the window.

Sorry I confused you.

[Crazy Cat 41,844]

9 hours ago, ImmigrantKrish said:

Take it with a grain of salt, but I have read on several forums applying N-400 would speed up the I-751. It could be coincidence or its related, but thats how I read it.

My wife's I-751 had been pending for 40 months when we filed her N-400.  4 months later, both the I-751 and N-400 were approved in our combo interview.

[Sarge2155 4,587]

58 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

My wife's I-751 had been pending for 40 months when we filed her N-400.  4 months later, both the I-751 and N-400 were approved in our combo interview.

Your case is the classic example of knocking the I-751 loose so to speak. I am going to follow suit and file the N-400 in early January 2023 just a few days after the window opens. I hope Dallas will rock me like they did you!

[FriendlyUser 42]

On 12/20/2022 at 10:27 PM, Mike E said:

I filed n-400 27 years late.  They still approved me.  

Hello Mike, if you don't mind me asking, did they question you at the interview why you filed n-400 so many years later? I myself have been living in the States for twelve years now and just filed n-400. I consulted with an immigration lawyer prior filling (just on some basic questions) and I was told they will most likely be asking me why it took me so long to take a decision to apply for naturalization.