Applying for Citizenship Through Marriage

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Particular guidelines in U.S. immigration regulation enable everlasting residents making use of for citizenship by marriage to submit the applying after simply three years. Most everlasting residents should reside in the US for at least 5 years earlier than making use of for citizenship. Nevertheless, the partner of a U.S. citizen who resides in the US could also be eligible to file Type N-400, Utility for Naturalization, on the premise of his or her marriage after simply three years.

The Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA §319(a)) describes the particular provisions for the partner of a U.S. citizen who needs to change into a citizen. The partner will need to have constantly resided in the US after changing into a everlasting resident for a minimum of three years instantly previous the date of submitting the naturalization software and will need to have lived in marital union along with his or her U.S. citizen partner for a minimum of three years previous to submitting.

Citizenship by Marriage Necessities

In case you are contemplating making use of for U.S. citizenship by marriage, you have to meet a number of standards as a way to qualify. You could:

Be age 18 or older on the time of submitting;
Be a lawful everlasting resident on the time of submitting the N-400 software;
Residing in marital union with the U.S. citizen partner for a minimum of three years previous the naturalization software. (The citizen partner will need to have been a U.S. citizen for these three years.);
Proceed to be the partner of the U.S. citizen up till the time you’re taking the Oath of Allegiance;
Be constantly residing in the US as a everlasting resident for a minimum of three years instantly previous the date of submitting the applying and as much as the time of naturalization;
Be bodily current in the US for a minimum of 18 months (548 days) out of the three years instantly previous the date of submitting the applying;
Reside throughout the state or USCIS district with jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence for a minimum of three months previous to the date of submitting;
Reveal an understanding of the English language, together with a capability to learn, write, and converse phrases in extraordinary utilization;
Present a information and understanding of the basics of the historical past and ideas and type of authorities of the US (civics);
Reveal good ethical character for a minimum of three years previous to submitting the applying till the time of naturalization; and
Present attachment to the ideas of the U.S. Structure and well-disposed to the nice order and happiness of the US throughout all related durations underneath the regulation.

CitizenPath’s on-line service to organize Type N-400 may also help you affirm your eligibility. In reality, we’ll be sure to meet the necessities earlier than you pay for the service. Everlasting residents use CitizenPath to simply and appropriately put together USCIS kinds like Type N-400, Utility for Naturalization. Be taught extra >>

Citizenship by Marriage Isn’t Obligatory

In lots of instances, the partner of a U.S. citizen may qualify on the premise of 5 years steady residence as a everlasting resident. Making use of for citizenship by marriage isn’t necessary simply since you are married to a U.S. citizen. In case you are married to a U.S. citizen and also you even have 5 years of everlasting residence in the US, you possibly can possible have two completely different choices for submitting Type N-400. USCIS doesn’t require you to use for citizenship primarily based on the wedding. Typically, it’s simpler to organize an software when making use of for citizenship primarily based on 5 years as a everlasting resident. That’s as a result of it gained’t be essential to submit further paperwork about your marriage and U.S. citizen partner.

Marital Union Requirement

In case you are making use of for citizenship by marriage to a U.S. citizen, there’s a marital union requirement. Typically you have to be residing in marital union together with your U.S. citizen partner for a minimum of three years instantly previous the time of submitting the N-400 software. This provision requires that you just reside in marital union with the citizen partner throughout all the interval of three years earlier than submitting. USCIS considers you to be “residing in marital union” together with your citizen partner in the event you and the citizen truly reside collectively.

Components that may disrupt this era of residing in marital union embrace:

Demise of U.S. citizen partner

You might be ineligible to naturalize because the partner of a U.S. citizen if the citizen dies any time previous to you taking the Oath of Allegiance. Nevertheless, in case you are the surviving partner of a U.S. citizen who died in army service, you could be eligible for naturalization underneath one other particular provision.
Divorce or annulment

A divorce or annulment will break the conjugal relationship. Thus, you might be ineligible to naturalize because the partner of a U.S. citizen in the event you or your partner terminated the wedding by divorce or annulment.
Separation

A separation (authorized or casual) usually consists of residing at separate residences. Since you are now not truly residing together with your U.S. citizen partner following a separation, you might be additionally not residing in marital union with the U.S. citizen partner, and you aren’t eligible to use.

In the event you had been subjected to battering or excessive cruelty by your U.S. citizen partner, you might be possible exempt from this requirement. If any of the above situations apply to you, please search the recommendation of an skilled immigration lawyer earlier than submitting a Type N-400, Utility for Naturalization.

Three Years of Steady Residence

Earlier than making use of for citizenship by marriage, you have to have constantly resided in the US as a everlasting resident for a minimum of three years instantly previous the date of the submitting the applying and as much as the time of the Oath of Allegiance. Which means that you might have lived in the US for 3 years and take into account it your private home. Somebody who resides in the US usually will:

Keep a everlasting residence within the U.S.
Have employment or attend faculty within the U.S.
File tax returns within the U.S.
Keep neighborhood ties within the U.S.

The continual residence requirement doesn’t forestall you from touring outdoors the America. However there are limitations on the size of time you could be absent from the U.S. with out disrupting your steady residence. Typically, you shouldn’t take any journeys of 180 days or extra.

RECOMMENDED: Steady Residence and Bodily Presence Necessities

18 Months of Bodily Presence

You could have been bodily current in the US for a minimum of 18 months (548 days) out of the three years instantly previous the date of submitting Type N-400. Bodily presence refers back to the variety of days you have to bodily be current in the US throughout the three-year interval as much as the date of submitting the naturalization software.

In case you have made any journeys outdoors the US (of 24 hours or extra), you’ll have to doc them if you apply for citizenship. Make sure that you had been bodily current within the U.S. for a minimum of 18 months out of the three years that precede the date you apply. Be taught extra concerning the bodily presence requirement.

90-Day Early Submitting Provision (INA 334)

Regardless of the continual residence requirement described above, you may very well file Type N-400, Utility for Naturalization, as much as 90 days earlier than the date you’ll first meet the required three-year interval of steady residence. That’s proper. A provision within the regulation (INA 334), makes it doable to use early. Though you could file early, USCIS gained’t finalize the naturalization course of till you might have glad the required three-year interval of residence. Moreover, you have to meet all different necessities for naturalization on the time of making use of for citizenship by marriage.

Examples

It isn’t mandatory so that you can have obtained everlasting residence by the wedding. In different phrases, you could change into a everlasting resident first and marry afterwards to qualify for the three-year exception. Contemplate the next examples:

Instance 1

Rosario is a Venezuelan nationwide that meets and falls in love with Robert, a U.S. citizen. They finally get married and Robert helps Rosario acquire a inexperienced card by their spousal relationship. USCIS grants Rosario conditional residence on 2/1/2019, and she or he receives a two-year inexperienced card. The interval of conditional residence counts as time as a everlasting resident. So if Rosario and Robert stay married, she is going to meet the continual residence requirement for naturalization on 2/2/2022. Due to the 90-day early submitting provision, she will be able to file Type N-400 as early as 11/4/2021.

Instance 2

Kyle obtained a inexperienced card by employment; he has been a everlasting resident since 7/1/2019. After acquiring his everlasting residence, he met Michelle, a U.S. citizen, and so they bought married on 7/1/2020. If Kyle and Michelle stay married, he’ll meet the continual residence requirement for naturalization on 7/2/2023. (At this level he could have been a everlasting resident for 4 years, however married to a U.S. citizen for less than three years.) If the wedding falls aside earlier than 7/2/2023, Kyle can nonetheless apply for citizenship after 5 years, 7/2/2024.

Identical Intercourse Marriages

Immigration regulation acknowledges similar intercourse marriages in the identical approach it does reverse intercourse marriages, so long as the wedding was authorized within the jurisdiction that it passed off. In instances of marriage between individuals of the identical intercourse, USCIS officers will assessment the legal guidelines of the jurisdiction wherein the wedding passed off to find out if the jurisdiction acknowledges same-sex marriages and the wedding in any other case is legally legitimate.

Supporting Paperwork When Making use of for Citizenship by Marriage

To use for naturalization, you have to submit Type N-400, Utility for Naturalization, and the USCIS submitting charges. In Half 1 of the applying, you’ll want to pick out merchandise 1B, “You might be a minimum of 18 years of age and have been a lawful everlasting resident of the US for a minimum of 3 years. As well as, you might have been married to and residing with the identical U.S. citizen partner for the final 3 years, and your partner has been a U.S. citizen for the final 3 years on the time you filed your Type N-400.”

Beneath this provision, the burden is on you to ascertain that you’re married and residing in marital union with a U.S. citizen. Deliver the next gadgets to your interview in case you are making use of for citizenship by marriage:

Proof of Partner’s U.S. Citizenship

Present proof that your partner has been a U.S. citizen for a minimum of three years on the time you file Type N-400. Examples of acceptable paperwork embrace: delivery certificates, U.S. Passport (if legitimate and unexpired), Certificates of Naturalization, Certificates of Citizenship, or Type FS-240 Consular Report of Start Overseas.
Proof of Marriage

Present proof of a authorized marriage. The applicant should set up validity of his or her marriage. Typically, the authorized validity of a wedding is set by the regulation of the place the place the wedding was celebrated. Examples of acceptable paperwork embrace: marriage certificates or different official civil document to ascertain that the wedding is authorized and legitimate.
Proof that Prior Marriages have been Terminated

If both partner had a previous marriage, proof ought to be submitted that proves all prior marriages have been terminated. Examples of acceptable paperwork embrace: divorce decree, annulment and dying certificates.
Proof of Marital Union

Present proof that you just and your partner have lived in marital union for a minimum of three years on the time you file your Type N-400. Examples of acceptable paperwork which have each spouses’ names embrace: joint financial institution and bank card statements, leases or mortgages, delivery certificates of kids, insurance coverage insurance policies, IRS-certified copies of the revenue tax kinds that you just and your partner filed for the previous three years (or an IRS tax return transcript for the final three years).

CitizenPath additionally helps you with the supporting documentation. Along with your ready N-400 software, CitizenPath supplies you with a set of submitting directions. The directions are personalized to your solutions within the software so you realize what to do to your particular state of affairs. They supply detailed instructions on supporting paperwork, find out how to manage your software, and the place to mail it.

Spouses of U.S. Residents Employed Overseas

There are further provisions within the regulation that deal with functions for citizenship by spouses of U.S. residents not residing in the US. In case you are the partner of a U.S. citizen who’s “recurrently stationed overseas” in qualifying employment, you could be eligible for naturalization on the premise of your marriage. Beneath this provision you could be exempt from the continual residence and bodily presence necessities for naturalization. This provision is commonly utilized to U.S. army spouses. However qualifying employment overseas means to be underneath employment contract or orders and to imagine the duties of employment in any of following entities or positions:

Authorities of the US (together with the U.S. armed forces);
American establishment of analysis acknowledged as such by the Lawyer Basic;
American agency or company engaged in entire or partially within the growth of international commerce and commerce of the US, or a subsidiary thereof;
Public worldwide group wherein the US participates by treaty or statute;
Approved to carry out the ministerial or priestly capabilities of a non secular denomination having a bona fide group inside the US; or
Engaged solely as a missionary by a non secular denomination or by an interdenominational mission group having a bona fide group inside the US.

About CitizenPath

CitizenPath supplies easy, inexpensive, step-by-step steering by USCIS immigration functions. People, attorneys and non-profits use the service on desktop or cell gadget to organize immigration kinds precisely, avoiding pricey delays. CitizenPath permits customers to strive the service totally free and supplies a 100% money-back assure that USCIS will approve the applying or petition. We offer assist for the Inexperienced Card Alternative Utility (Type I-90), US Citizenship Utility (Type N-400), and several other different USCIS kinds.

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