when can I apply for citizenship? (green card, marriage, application, applying)

[charliegland]

when can I apply for citizenship? greed card received 2007,"resident since date" on greed card is 2006. asylee I-589 approved in 1998. should "the resident since date" on the green card be that the asylee I-589 approved?

[Penguin_ie]

You can apply 5 years minus 90 days after you became a resident, ie the date on your green card, so sometime next year.

[Buburuza13]

i got the green card and i was told i can apply in 2 years and 9 months after getting it...official statement..3 years after green card,but i have the right to apply three months earlier..but i do not want the american citizenship,i think my european community citizenships are more valuable...i am married to an american..got immediately the green card,when i arrived,because we lived in europe already married together..so no fresh marriage at all...

[Penguin_ie]

Buburuza: your case is different because you are married to a US citizen, thus the three years. For any other greencard holder, it is 5 years. You can apply 90 days before (NOT three months- there is a slight difference and they will reject your application if you apply early) because the paperwork takes a while; they will not let you take the oath of citizenship until your 3/5 years are up (and that is also assuming you have not spent too much time outside of the USA).

[STT Resident]

Just having a late-night and very tired chuckle over, "greeD card" ... First could have been a typo, second and third not. Cheers!

[lastra]

I am married ( my husband is a US Citizen ) and I was told that it's three years from the time you get your green card, or 5 years in any other case ( if you are not married to a US Citizen ). Also, like another post mentioned, make sure that you do not apply too early.

[Sweden]

Originally Posted by lastra

I am married ( my husband is a US Citizen ) and I was told that it's three years from the time you get your green card, or 5 years in any other case ( if you are not married to a US Citizen ). Also, like another post mentioned, make sure that you do not apply too early.

Isn't it 3 years/5 years from the day you enter the US with your green card/VISA? (VISA as in that stamp you get in your passport - since the making of the physical green card doesn't start until you first enter the US - if you do the process in your homeland and haven't been married long enough to not have to do the 2-year conditioned green card)

I don't know much about immigration other than marriage-based (been there, done that), so I have no idea how the asylee works? I thought that if your asylee (?) is approved, isn't that the same as saying you got permanent residency (green card)? That's how it works in Sweden, anyway, so I'm just ... just confused. I'll leave to make room for the more informed!

[drag]

my lawyer says i have to wait exactly three years after i got my condition green card (based on marriage) in order to apply for citizenship. but my internet search shows that i can apply 2 yrs and 9 months after, dont have to wait 3 years. any thoughts on risks of applying after 2 yrs and 9 months?

[Penguin_ie]

You are almost correct. You can apply 90 days (which is usually a little less than 3 months) before your three year anniversary. This is because the government knows the paperwork involved, and it'll take a while to process your application; you can even have your test and interview before the three years. You cannot actually become a citizen/ take the oath before your three years are up.

Next year for me!

[bentlebee]

But there is a BUT....you have to be in the USA for the entire time or the time outside the country will be added to the time frame which makes it longer...so you can't just have been here for 1 yr in total (example) and still aply after 3 yrs.