Calculating 5 years residency before applying for USA

[mmdude 1]

Hi all,

USCIS website mentions that after 5 years of residency in US you can apply for US citizenship.

If someone was in US for 4.5 years on F1 visa and now has green card for through marriage to USC for 6 months can this be counted as 5 years of residency in US?

What are the terms and conditions for counting 5 years of residency before applying for US citizenship?

[joonphon 7]

From my understanding, you have to become a permanent resident for 5 years before you can apply for US citizenship.

[nwctzn 55]

Hi all,

USCIS website mentions that after 5 years of residency in US you can apply for US citizenship.

If someone was in US for 4.5 years on F1 visa and now has green card for through marriage to USC for 6 months can this be counted as 5 years of residency in US?

What are the terms and conditions for counting 5 years of residency before applying for US citizenship?

Your time on non-immigrant visas like F1, H1-B etc. do not count at all.

The clock starts when you become a permanent resident (aka green card holder). So you must be a permanent resident for 5 years from the date "Resident Since" printed on the green card.

In your case, you can apply after 3 years after becoming a permanent resident since you are eligible to apply for citizenship based on marriage to a US citizen. Since you are already a permanent resident for 6 months, you have 2.5 years left before you can apply.

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Edited April 26, 2012 by nwctzn

[mmdude 1]

From my understanding, you have to become a permanent resident for 5 years before you can apply for US citizenship.

Thank you very much

Your time on non-immigrant visas like F1, H1-B etc. do not count at all.

The clock starts when you become a permanent resident (aka green card holder). So you must be a permanent resident for 5 years from the date "Resident Since" printed on the green card.

In your case, you can apply after 3 years after becoming a permanent resident since you are eligible to apply for citizenship based on marriage to a US citizen. Since you are already a permanent resident for 6 months, you have 2.5 years left before you can apply.

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Thank you very much

[rocks 494]

You can use this tool to calculate when you can apply. You can apply 90 days before you have been a permanent resident for 3 years, based on being married to a USC. http://www.uscis.gov/dateCalculator.html

[joonphon 7]

You can use this tool to calculate when you can apply. You can apply 90 days before you have been a permanent resident for 3 years, based on being married to a USC. http://www.uscis.gov/dateCalculator.html

Oh yes... that's right.. I was thinking of filing as a refugee w/o marrying a US citizen.