U.S. Citizenship Requirements for 3-Year Married Permanent Resident

Establishing Eligibility to File Form N-400, Application for Naturalization

As a permanent resident who is married to a U.S. citizen, you may be eligible for naturalization after just three years. This is a significant benefit (as it normally requires five years as a permanent resident before applying for citizenship).

To qualify, you must have lived in the U.S. continuously for the three years immediately preceding the date you file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. You must be married to a citizen the entire time; and your spouse must have been a U.S. citizen for the entire time. The Immigration and Nationality Act (Section 319(a)) details all of the citizenship requirements for a 3-year permanent resident married to a U.S. citizen. We explain it in simple terms here.

citizenship requirements for 3 year LPR

An applicant for naturalization after three years of marriage to a U.S. citizen must meet the following citizenship requirements:

Alternative Paths to Citizenship

5-Year Permanent Resident

If you've been a permanent resident for at least five years, you may be eligible to naturalize now.
Learn More
U.S. armed forces basis for naturalization

U.S. Armed Forces

If you've served at least one year in the U.S. military, you may be eligible to naturalize now.
Learn More

How CitizenPath Helps You Apply for Naturalization

Is there a way to confirm my eligibility and prepare everything correctly?

CitizenPath's affordable, online service makes it easy to prepare Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. Designed by immigration lawyers, the Naturalization Package helps you eliminate the common errors that create delays, rejections and even denials. That's because the service alerts you when your answer to a question may be a problem. You'll also get customized filing instructions based on your situation. It's a powerful, do-it-yourself tool that puts you in control. And we've got your back -- CitizenPath provides live customer support and provides a money-back guarantee that USCIS will approve your application. Get started >>

STEP
1
Check Eligibility
No signup required.

We're going to ask you a few questions to make sure you're eligible and preparing the correct form.

STEP
2
Prepare Form N-400
There’s no obligation to purchase.

Our software will guide you through the N-400 application using simple step-by-step instructions.

STEP
3
Download, Print and File
Pay only $199 + USCIS fees.

Once you're completely satisfied, you’ll be able to print your N-400 and customized filing instructions.

CitizenPath Naturalization Package to file Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization)
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