British Expatriate Network

I have been looking into this, previously I decided if I had to choose I would remian a Brit but now I know I can do both. So I have a few questions for those of you who have or who are going through this.

1 On the USCIS site I read it as you can apply if you have been married to an American for at least 3 years. Now should you have held your greencard that long??? ???

2 My son should be granted citizenship because I have it?

TIA

1. I think it's 3 years from the date you officially became a permanent resident. You then become eligible to apply but I think that's only if you arrived on certain visas (K1 for example)

That would be us, I came in on a K1. So you think 3 years of marriage and 3 years of perm residency?

Isn't it something like 5 years less 90 days from becoming legal, permanent resident, reduced to 3 years less 90 days if you are married to a US citizen?

I think they go from when you became a conditional permanent resident. As I got divorced during the conditional period, I went to the 5 years timescale but INS said it was from the date my conditional status began and not when the conditions were removed, moving it up a couple of years.

So if you come in through the (legal) back door on a visa waiver and then get married, what then?

Don't think that makes any difference. I came in the same way and INS just said later that as I wasn't married to a US citizen any more, it would be 5 years instead of 3.

It's now been 6 years so I will probably get around to it later this year or early next.

Two years later.......

I'm off to my Citizenship Oath Ceremony on Thursday!

Congratulations!

Ooh! I hope someone is going with you - when I went, the judge posed for photos with whoever wanted them, so I did. Congratulations!

Actually, yes. I could have sworn in the afternoon of the day I passed the tests but I asked to delay so I could take my girlfriend with me. She said beforehand that she'd always wanted to go to one of those ceremonies (her grandmother naturalised from Canadian) so we're going up together and then staying in Portland for a couple of days to celebrate.

I think I must be slightly odd, I have been here 9 years and have absolutely no desire whatsoever to become a citizen and never expect to do so. If I said I was an American citizen I would be so embarrassed...makes me shudder at the thought.

Thats your choice .
the good thing about America is folks like you and i have the choice to be a citizen or not not all countries would except as on those terms

Funnily enough, each time one of my family tells me I'm American I hotly deny it. British first and always will be! It's great being able to vote though.

After 9 years. I'm sure your freinds and relatives back in the UK think of you as an American.

You are slowly becoming a Yank like it or not.

I dont think its odd just a matter of choice my best friends have been here since the early 70s and are still not citizens .

Dont know about Kieth he has been here since the *war of independence *and i dont know if he has taken up canadian citizenship ( JUST JOKING KIETH )