How long does an immigrant need to be married to a citizen in order to obtain their citizenship?

Answer 1

You cannot obtain citizenship by marriage. You still have to follow the same steps as every other immigrant. You can, however, become a resident alien. All of the info you need can be found at:

www.ins.gov

Answer 2

3 years

Answer 3

Usually 3 years, but you must prove it was a good marriage. INS caught on to that loophole long ago, so marrying someone for citizenship is not all that easy anymore. Staying married and not divorcing will help, having kids are even better. If your from Eastern Europe, Latin America, or Southeast Asia, you might have to be married longer.

Answer 4

lets say you entered the country on a 2 year Visa...after 18 month in country you can apply for permanent residency(10 year visa) the process takes anywhere from 1-2 years,once you receive your permanent residency you can apply for citizenship..that takes another 6month to 2 years.it all really depends what part of the country you live in.states with high immigrant populations take longer to clear applications then lets say some states up north.

Answer 5

That would depend on many different factors. However, if you are in the US before you meet your fiance, your time continues from the time you first entered country. If you move here to get married, or get married overseas and then come to the US, you have to be married for five years. Refer to any US immigration website for complete information. One entrant said something about someone paying the spouse some money. Please, do not do this. If immigration finds this out, the US spouse could go to jail and the foriegn spouse could be deported.

Answer 6

As others have said, the immigrant must first obtain legal permanent residency. After the required amount of time, he or she can then apply for citizenship. Here are the requirements:
http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/services/natz/English.pdf

Answer 7

marriage is not even the issue. One must be a LEGAL resident alien for 5 years to qualify for application for citizenship. It used to be 10 but it was shortened within the Clinton administration

I know because my wife was approved and became a citizen last year!

Answer 8

The time period is 2 years before you apply for the green card. Once green card is obtained, in 3 years you can take the citizen ship test.

Answer 9

There's no minimum criteria. Each citizenship application is examined on its merits, like age, education qualifications, occupation, etc of both parties in the marriage.

Answer 10

Why not go through the citizenship requirements instead of waiting unless you don't really want to work for it you just want the benefits it will give you?