Immigration Question

[Dari]

My friend has had a green card for 4 years now. He wants to know how early he can file for citizenship. The citizenship form says five years but does it mean exactly 5 years or can he start a couple of months early? TIA.

 

[K1052]

He can apply 90 days before the 5 year mark.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: K1052
He can apply 90 days before the 5 year mark.

Thank you. So all his lawyering and paperwork can be done 90 days before the 5 year mark?

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: K1052
He can apply 90 days before the 5 year mark.

Thank you. So all his lawyering and paperwork can be done 90 days before the 5 year mark?

Such is my understanding.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: K1052
He can apply 90 days before the 5 year mark.

Thank you. So all his lawyering and paperwork can be done 90 days before the 5 year mark?

Such is my understanding.

Thanx.

 

[Svnla]

As a naturalized US citizen, I think it is one of the best thing you can accomplish.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/B3.pdf says you have to live in the US for at least 5 years.

Be prepare to pay extra. Fees for green card, citizenship, and anything related just went up this month (August). IIRC, at least 50% or more.

 

[Aharami]

tell your friend to read this
http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/M-476.pdf
and these
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/N-400ins.pdf
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/si...nVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD
and fill this out
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/N-400.pdf

 

[Narmer]

That's a lot of information you'll provided. becoming a citizen is more complicated than i thought. iirc, some people can just invest like $300,000 to become automatic citizens right?

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: Svnla
As a naturalized US citizen, I think it is one of the best thing you can accomplish.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/B3.pdf says you have to live in the US for at least 5 years.

Be prepare to pay extra. Fees for green card, citizenship, and anything related just went up this month (August). IIRC, at least 50% or more.

Seriously??? Dang it, I delayed getting my wife's US citizenship (even though she has been here for 20 years) because we just renewed her Green Card and that cost close to $400 so I figured to let her get some use out of it before giving it up!


Edit: Yep, fees have gone up since 7/30/07

$595 plus a biometrics fee of $80; the fee total is $675. Applicants 75 years of age or older are not charged a biometric fee; their fee total is $595.

It used to be $395 IIRC.. Such bullcrap that she had to renew the Green Card before she could apply for a citizenship as it was expiring within six months. Oh well, guess she won't be voting in the next election. Besides that, i dont see any pressing need for her to get a US passport.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: Narmer
That's a lot of information you'll provided. becoming a citizen is more complicated than i thought. iirc, some people can just invest like $300,000 to become automatic citizens right?

Yea, if they invest it with the Russian mafia in NY to get them a fake passport.

 

[CaffeineAndStuff]

Originally posted by: K1052
He can apply 90 days before the 5 year mark.

Or 90 days before the 3 year mark if married to a US citizen for those 3 years.

 

[alphatarget1]

You don't need a lawyer to file for naturalization.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: Svnla
As a naturalized US citizen, I think it is one of the best thing you can accomplish.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/B3.pdf says you have to live in the US for at least 5 years.

Be prepare to pay extra. Fees for green card, citizenship, and anything related just went up this month (August). IIRC, at least 50% or more.

Seriously??? Dang it, I delayed getting my wife's US citizenship (even though she has been here for 20 years) because we just renewed her Green Card and that cost close to $400 so I figured to let her get some use out of it before giving it up!


Edit: Yep, fees have gone up since 7/30/07

$595 plus a biometrics fee of $80; the fee total is $675. Applicants 75 years of age or older are not charged a biometric fee; their fee total is $595.

It used to be $395 IIRC.. Such bullcrap that she had to renew the Green Card before she could apply for a citizenship as it was expiring within six months. Oh well, guess she won't be voting in the next election. Besides that, i dont see any pressing need for her to get a US passport.

Why did you renew her green card? Is there some requirement to do this? Just curious because my wife is here on a green card issued in 1985 and I'm not aware if that is something she needs to do.

Never mind, I found this which explains it. That develop a plan thing does not bode well though.

Do I need to renew my Green Card if it was issued between 1979 and 1988 but does not have an expiration date?

No. Green Cards issued between 1979 and 1988 do not have expiration dates and do not need to be renewed at this time. USCIS will develop a plan for replacing these cards at a future time.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: alphatarget1
You don't need a lawyer to file for naturalization.

I advised him to get a lawyer in order to minimize errors/delays.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: Svnla
As a naturalized US citizen, I think it is one of the best thing you can accomplish.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/B3.pdf says you have to live in the US for at least 5 years.

Be prepare to pay extra. Fees for green card, citizenship, and anything related just went up this month (August). IIRC, at least 50% or more.

Seriously??? Dang it, I delayed getting my wife's US citizenship (even though she has been here for 20 years) because we just renewed her Green Card and that cost close to $400 so I figured to let her get some use out of it before giving it up!


Edit: Yep, fees have gone up since 7/30/07

$595 plus a biometrics fee of $80; the fee total is $675. Applicants 75 years of age or older are not charged a biometric fee; their fee total is $595.

It used to be $395 IIRC.. Such bullcrap that she had to renew the Green Card before she could apply for a citizenship as it was expiring within six months. Oh well, guess she won't be voting in the next election. Besides that, i dont see any pressing need for her to get a US passport.

Why did you renew her green card? Is there some requirement to do this? Just curious because my wife is here on a green card issued in 1985 and I'm not aware if that is something she needs to do.

Never mind, I found this which explains it. That develop a plan thing does not bode well though.

Do I need to renew my Green Card if it was issued between 1979 and 1988 but does not have an expiration date?

No. Green Cards issued between 1979 and 1988 do not have expiration dates and do not need to be renewed at this time. USCIS will develop a plan for replacing these cards at a future time.

Good luck. The fees to renew the Card are outrageous, and the people working at the UCSIS are horrible. At least the ones in Newark, NJ are.

 

[biggestmuff]

Good luck to your friend!

 

[isekii]

I'm in the process of doing mine.

Paid 400 bucks which includes the biometric fee.

I get finger printed on the 23rd.

Took about 2.5 months to receive notice of the finger printing.
Took about 3 weeks for them to acknowledge that they received my application.

Hopefully after my finger printing is done, it doesn't take too long to get naturalized.

 

[Svnla]

I am glad that I did the citizenship over 10 years ago (mid 90's IRRC). The cost was much cheaper, less than $100, and it was much easier, at least for me.

All I did was to pass a written test (what the red/white/blue colors in the US flag means type of questions), then oral interview for about 5 minutes, and lastly, wrote on a sheet of paper of whatever the tester said (a short sentence like "today is Monday"). From what I've been told, it is much harder to pass, the line and waiting time is much longer and the cost is much higher.

OP, I didn't use any lawyer or help. All you have to do is to fill out all the paperworks and study for the tests.

 

[alphatarget1]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: alphatarget1
You don't need a lawyer to file for naturalization.

I advised him to get a lawyer in order to minimize errors/delays.

I really don't think a lawyer can do much good other than filling out forms. It's just the N-400 + application fee and then you get your fingerprint taken.