Obtaining US Citizenship from the USCIS in the United States can sometimes be a very slow process. It is true that whatever happens and whatever application we make, we are going to have to meet some mandatory requirements. But it is also true that it is possible to obtain citizenship sooner, as long as we meet certain specific conditions.
In the case of naturalization, we will have to wait around 5 years from the time we obtain the Green Card, but there is a way to shorten this so that we can achieve naturalization 3 years after obtaining this document. Of course, not all Americans can access this type of naturalization in this way. But if we can access it, we will obtain US Citizenship from USCIS in just 3 years.
How can we get US Citizenship from the USCIS in 3 years?
The Green Card is something we must have in order to obtain US Citizenship in the United States. This Green Card is only granted to United States citizens who meet certain requirements, but in this case we are not talking about this document as such.
Assuming that we already have the Green Card, we will have to wait 5 years before we can apply for naturalization. However, if we marry a U.S. Citizen, we will only have to wait 3 years before we can send in the documentation and obtain full rights of US Citizenship.
Even so, it is true that not everything is really that easy, since even through this process we are going to have to take into account that we must pass the English and United States History and Government exams. In addition to that, there are other basic requirements, but what is certain is that if we marry a United States citizen we will obtain nationality two years earlier.
Requirements for US Citizenship
As we have already mentioned, having a Green Card is key to obtaining United States citizenship, but there are other mandatory requirements. According to the USCIS, we must bear in mind that:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be a legal permanent resident (Green Card holder) for at least 5 years (or 3 years if you are married to a US citizen).
- Have lived at least 30 months in the US in the last 5 years (or 18 months in the last 3 years if you are applying through marriage).
- Be of good moral character (with no serious criminal record).
- Be able to speak, read and write English language (with some exceptions).
- Pass a test on US history and government.
Only in this way will we be able to apply for naturalization and thus finally obtain US Citizenship from the USCIS.