Our lawyers speak Spanish. Forward Thinking Immigration Law. Qualifications to Become a U. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. In some states, the information on this website may be considered a lawyer referral service. Please reference the Terms of Use and the Supplemental Terms for specific information related to your state.
Lawyer Directory. Call us at 1 For some people who hold a green card lawful permanent residence , it's possible to apply for naturalized U. If you are married to a U. This assumes the following: you are currently married to and living with a U. If you are an asylee, then you must wait four years after your approval of permanent residence because your year as an asylee counts; in fact, you will notice that your green card is already back-dated one year.
If you are a refugee, you must wait five years from your date of U. You are expected to apply for a green card one year after entering the U.
If you are a current or former military member or spouse of a military members who died during active duty in the U.
You will have to wait a full four years from the actual date when you're approved for a green card. And, somewhat confusingly, you will need to wait a full five years from the date your green card says you became a permanent resident. That's because USCIS will automatically backdate your permanent residence approval date on your green card by one year, in recognition of your rollback rights. See the U. Code of Federal Regulations 8 C.
If your spouse has a job requiring the two of you to live overseas, you may be able to apply for citizenship without five years of permanent residence. If you are willing to come back to the United States to apply, you can file your application any time after you receive your permanent residence. There are a number of limitations on who can use this provision. You must be regularly stationed abroad due to your spouse's employment. You also must declare an intention to live in the United States when your spouse's employment ends.
And finally, your spouse's employer must be either:. A final note of caution: Even if you have spent the required amount of time with a green card, you might need to wait longer before applying for U. And if you haven't yet learned enough English to pass the exam you'll be given on this topic, or studied the required U. For more about the rules and exceptions described above, including tips on how to prove you qualify for one of the exceptions, see the book Becoming a U.
If you would like a personal analysis of your situation, consult an experienced immigration attorney. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. In some states, the information on this website may be considered a lawyer referral service.
Please reference the Terms of Use and the Supplemental Terms for specific information related to your state. Grow Your Legal Practice. Meet the Editors. When Can I Apply for U. While most people must wait five years after getting their green card to apply for naturalized U. Citizen You need to wait a mere three years to apply for U. If you divorce your U. While this might seem like a set back, it still presents a pathway to citizenship, even if your marriage has ended. Not sure if you qualify for U.
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There are some other requirements for applying for U. First and foremost: pay your taxes! You must submit federal tax returns for either three or five years, depending under which rule you are applying. Your application will not be considered without them, so make sure you are up-to-date with your taxes. Secondly, never register to vote or claim to be a U. This is critical, as USCIS takes these acts incredibly seriously and it will create a lengthy delay or possible denial of your application.
You could face deportation proceedings. The first three questions on the naturalization form are about voting and registering to vote. If you answer yes to any of these, you should seek immediate legal advice before applying for citizenship.
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