Filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization as soon as you are eligible after submitting Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence offers a number of strategic benefits. Although filing the I-751 automatically extends a conditional resident’s lawful permanent resident/LPR/Green Card status, the approval process for the I-751 can take several years due to backlogs and administrative delays. By filing the N-400 at the earliest eligibility date—typically 90 days before reaching three years of permanent residence through marriage to a U.S. citizen—applicants can initiate the naturalization process without waiting for the I-751 to be approved first.
One of the key advantages of filing the N-400 while the I-751 is still pending is that it accelerates the adjudication of both forms. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must decide on the I-751 before granting naturalization. When the N-400 is submitted, USCIS will schedule an interview after several months. The officer will adjudicate the I-751 and N-400 at the same interview. This effectively shortens the total wait time and allows applicants to proceed toward citizenship, rather than remaining in limbo as a conditional permanent resident for an extended period. There is no reason to wait for the I-751 to be approved before filing the N-400.
As filing both forms concurrently typically results in a combined interview at the USCIS field office you need to be prepared for questions related to the I-751 at the interview that is advertised as an N-400 interview. During this single appointment, the officer will review both the I-751 and N-400 applications, ask questions related to the bona fides of the marriage (for the I-751), and test the applicant on English and civics (for the N-400). This consolidated approach streamlines the process, reduces the burden of multiple appointments, and simplifies communication with USCIS, ultimately leading to a quicker path to U.S. citizenship than waiting for the I-751 to be approved before filing the N-400.
