Nebraska service centre processing time is getting exponentially slower, it seems. I'm sure at some point it'll halt and turn round and we'll start working our way back up the immigration chain through L1Bs until we reach visa waiver status. roll
People who were a year ahead of us in the process got theirs nearly two years ago. Looks like we have another two years to go. Ho Hum. We'll be getting familiar with those EAD and advanced parole applications. lol
I just said to hell with it and applied for citizenship. My official 2 year parole card expired in 2000, and I've been waiting since then. To be honest, the main reason I want to be an American Citizen is to stop screwing around with the INS...or CIS...or whatever they're called nowadays.
Can you apply for citizenship without a greencard? How long do you have to have been here to do this?
Monster, I totally sympathize. We are going through the Vermont Centre and they are pretty slow too. Don't know what the time range is on theres, though. Haven't dared look.
Can you apply for citizenship without a greencard? How long do you have to have been here to do this?
adeshell has his Greencard officially, just doesn't have it physically.
Can you apply for citizenship without a greencard? How long do you have to have been here to do this?
You need to be a permanent resident before you can start the naturalisation process. You don't have to physically have a green card - just the I-551 stamp in your passport, which you would get at your AOS interview.
In your case, once you have the I-551 stamp, you'd be eligible for citizenship 5 years later.
Monster, at least you have gotten your application in. We have been here for 4 yrs now and no nearer it seems to even getting the application in. At the moment, the lawyers are in the process of trying to change Gordon status from a L1B to L1A but if that fails then its onto the H1B. For us its particularly urgent as Elisabeth will be 21 in May 2006, so we have to be at the change of status by that point for her to be on our greencard application. Once our application is accepted, then her age is fixed. If we have to go down the H1B road, I think we have to go through the labour certification route which has been the thing that has held us up so far. Fortunately, there haven't been any layoffs since last Oct, so that should proceed immediately. To be honest, Motorola stinks in this department and has been of no help to us at all.
Like Adeshell, I don't have a greencard at present but supposedly it's in the system in Nebraska. I do have full residency and the I-551 stamp though. I was warned it would possibly take up to a year to get my new Greencard e.g. the CIS said six months, my attorney said a year.
I'll be at 4 years, nine months next January so could apply for citizenship then. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to do that though.
I just said to hell with it and applied for citizenship. My official 2 year parole card expired in 2000, and I've been waiting since then. To be honest, the main reason I want to be an American Citizen is to stop screwing around with the INS...or CIS...or whatever they're called nowadays.
I would hardly call once every 10 years "screwing around" though....
It's not like you have to do it each year. In which case going the citizenship route would make sense.
It took a little over a year for my (2nd) GC renewal card to come through, so no biggie.
Personally I cannot see any benefit from it (aside from the fact that when they resurrect the draft and if you're under 35 you could get picked..) and being able to vote (which we know is also a little suspect...)
Andrew :)
Why this reluctance to become a citizen of any country, especially if you have children? If you have been there for more than 5 years what have you got to loose?
Life is so much simpler and it's not as if they can take away your birth-right.
As far as I'm concerned it's a win-win situation.
As far as I'm concerned it's a win-win situation.
I agree.
Being either a Canadian/British or USA/British citizen has many positives, one in particular is with regards to travel.
I can travel to the US without a passport/visa and if I do travel outside of North America I have access to two Consulates or Embassies.
In either Canada or the UK I can enter as a citizen, providing you have two passports.
I don't see it as a big deal at all.
I would hardly call once every 10 years "screwing around" though....
I guess your INS isn't like the Atlanta INS.
If they ever enact the draft here, I will just move to the UK, or elsewhere in the EU. lol
bvamin
Personally I cannot see any benefit from it (aside from the fact that when they resurrect the draft and if you're under 35 you could get picked..)
It would actually applied to non citizens as well. When my son is 18, he will have to select a service despite not even having a green card. According to the web-blog that the woman who followed her son to Iraq, has, the Senate is actively considering bringing back the draft in 2005. With the way, things are going in Iraq, they might have to.