N-400 under the 3-year marriage rule
Citizenship through marriage: the 3-year rule, checked before you file
Citizenship through marriage can cut the wait from five years to three, but only if your marriage, your spouse and your time in the U.S. all line up. We test each condition against your answers and show you the result before you pay.
No account, no card. Money-back guarantee.
- 22 pre-filing checks
- Document list from your answers
- Money-back guarantee
- $199All-inclusive price
- 22Pre-filing checks
- 100%Money-back guarantee
- TailoredEvidence checklist
Marriage and the 5-year rule
Does the 3-year rule apply to you?
Marriage only shortens the wait if every condition holds. If one does not, the standard 5-year rule is still open to you.
- 01
The 3-year rule
Three years as a green card holder, living in marital union with your U.S. citizen spouse the whole time, and your spouse a citizen for those three years. At least 18 months of that time physically in the U.S.
THIS PAGE INA 319(a)Check eligibility - 02
The 5-year rule instead
Your spouse became a citizen less than three years ago, you no longer live together, or the marriage ended. The standard route applies: five years as a green card holder and 30 months physically in the U.S.
STANDARD ROUTE INA 316(a)See the N-400 page - 03
Not at three years yet
You can file up to 90 days before you reach 3 years as a green card holder, but on the day you file you must already have 3 full years of marriage to, and living with, a spouse who has been a citizen for all of those 3 years. The residence calculator gives the earliest date based on your green card. Check your marriage and your spouse’s citizenship dates against the same day yourself.
90-DAY HEAD STARTFind my filing date
Online filing
How to file your N-400 online
Immiva prepares and reviews your application. You submit it in your USCIS online account.
USCIS filing fee
- Online
- $710
- Paper
- $760
If you want a fee waiver or reduced fee, file on paper.
With Immiva
Step 1: Create your free account
Sign up with Immiva so your answers save as you go.
Step 2: Answer in plain English
Immiva asks each question in everyday words and counts your days abroad.
Step 3: We review your application
We check each answer and run 22 detailed checks.
Step 4: Get your filing packet
Your finished N-400, document list and filing instructions.
With USCIS (myaccount.uscis.gov)
Step 5: Submit online and pay $710
Upload your finished N-400 from Immiva to your USCIS account and pay the fee.
What you get
Everything you need to file the N-400 correctly
You answer questions. We handle the USCIS formatting, the error checking, and the document list.
- FLAGSHIP
22 checks before you file
The marriage conditions, the residence math, the oath questions, good moral character, your history, and every blank field. Each check shows pass, review, or fix, with what to do about it.
Marriage conditions, tested
Whether you live with your spouse, how long they have been a citizen, and whether your green card came through this marriage or an earlier one.
18-month presence count
Enter your trips. We count your days in the U.S. against the 18-month minimum and give you the earliest safe filing date.
Marriage evidence list
Your marriage certificate, proof your spouse is a citizen, and the records that show a shared life, built from your answers.
How it works
Prepare your marriage-based N-400 in four steps
You can stop and come back. Your answers save as you go.
Test the 3-year rule
Tell us when you got your green card, when you married, and when your spouse became a citizen. Free, and no account needed.
Answer the questions
Work through the N-400 in plain English, including your spouse and marriage history, with your trips counted for you.
Read your report
See all 22 checks, which passed and which need attention. Still free at this point.
File it
Download your finished N-400 and your marriage evidence list. File online through your USCIS account, or print it and mail it.
Pre-filing audit
See every check before you file
Every N-400 runs through the same 22 checks. You see the full report, every flag and every fix, before you pay anything.
Eligibility math
- Continuous residence
- Physical presence, counted in days
- Age at filing
- Three months in your USCIS district
Allegiance and oath
- Attachment to the Constitution
- Oath of Allegiance
- Willingness to serve
- Renouncing foreign titles
Good moral character
- Criminal history
- Unlawful acts
- Fraud and false statements
- Persecution and human rights
- Terrorism, weapons and security
- Tax and financial obligations
- Selective Service and military
- Unlawful voting and benefits
Your history
- Removal and deportation
- Employment history
- Address history
- Green card status
Form integrity
- Required fields complete
- Field content validation
Compare your options
Three ways to file your N-400
What you get, what it costs, and where each option leaves you.
Swipe to compare all three
| Feature | Do it yourself | Immiva | Traditional immigration attorney |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay to prepare it | Free | $199 | $1,000–$3,500 |
| The form itself | YesThe blank USCIS form, free to download | YesYour N-400, filled in from your answers | YesFilled in for you |
| Error checking | NoNone. You find out from the rejection notice | Yes22 checks, shown to you before you pay | YesA person reads it |
| Counting your days abroad | NoYou do the arithmetic | YesWe count them and give you a safe filing date | PartlyUsually, if you supply the dates |
| Document list | NoGeneric checklists you find online | YesBuilt from your answers | YesTailored to you |
| What it costs you upfront | YesNothing | Yes$199, and only after you see the report | NoA retainer before anything starts |
| How long it takes you | NoDays of reading instructions | YesUsually one sitting | NoWeeks of back and forth |
Your complete N-400 packet
The form, the pre-filing report, your document list, and filing instructions. You pay once you have seen the report.
$199One price for this application. The USCIS filing fee is separate and paid to the government.
Covered by a money-back guarantee. Read the guarantee terms
Real filers
A marriage-path problem we caught early
One example from a filer on the 3-year path.
My green card came through a first marriage that ended in divorce, and I'd been scared to naturalize for years. Immiva flagged that exact situation in the review and told me what I'd need to prove the marriage was genuine. I take my Oath next month.
Sandra M.3-year marriage path
Common questions
Citizenship through marriage, answered
What spouses of U.S. citizens ask before they apply.
Marrying a U.S. citizen does not make you a citizen. It gives you a shorter wait. Under the 3-year rule you apply for naturalization on Form N-400 after three years as a green card holder instead of five, provided you were married to your citizen spouse and living with them for that whole time.
It is section 319(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. You must be at least 18, have held a green card for three years, have lived in marital union with your U.S. citizen spouse for those three years, and have your spouse be a citizen for the whole period. You also need at least 18 months physically in the U.S. and three months in your state or USCIS district. You then pass the English and civics tests like everyone else.
Three years if you qualify under the marriage rule, five years if you do not. You can file up to 90 days before you reach 3 years as a green card holder, but on the day you file you must already have 3 full years of marriage to, and living with, a spouse who has been a citizen for all of those 3 years. The residence calculator shows the earliest date from your green card date and your own trips. It does not know your marriage or your spouse’s citizenship dates, so check those 3 years separately. Try the residence calculator
Yes. USCIS looks for marital union during the three years before you file and while it decides your case. If you divorce or the marriage is annulled before you take the oath, you are no longer eligible under this rule. A legal separation also breaks the marital union. The law does not strictly require you to live together between filing and the oath, but USCIS checks again. The 5-year rule may still be open to you, so check your options before you do anything else.
No. Your spouse has to be a citizen for the full three years. If they naturalized more recently, the standard 5-year rule applies to you, or you can wait until they have held citizenship for three years.
The three years are counted from when you became a permanent resident, but the marriage that counts is the one to your current citizen spouse. If your card came through a first marriage that ended, say so on the form. Our check flags it and lists the proof of a genuine marriage that officers ask for.
It shortens the residence period, not the processing time. After you file, USCIS still sends a receipt, a biometrics appointment and an interview with the English and civics tests. The 3-year rule also asks you to prove more, because the officer checks your marriage as well as your residence. See current N-400 processing times
Your marriage certificate, proof your spouse is a U.S. citizen, and records of a shared life: a joint lease or mortgage, joint tax returns, shared bank accounts, insurance. We build the list from your answers. See the full N-400 checklist
Immiva's fee is $199, paid once, after you have seen the report. The USCIS filing fee is separate and goes to the government.
Last updated
N-400 guides
Read this before you file
The parts of naturalization worth understanding before you start.
- N-400 Physical Presence CalculatorTrack your trips, calculate physical presence days, and find your earliest safe filing date.Interactive Tool
- N-400 Guide: How to Apply for U.S. CitizenshipComplete walkthrough of the naturalization process from eligibility to oath ceremony.Step-by-Step
- N-400 Physical Presence RequirementsUnderstand continuous residence and physical presence rules before you file.Eligibility
- N-400 Costs Explained: Filing Fees & AlternativesFull breakdown of USCIS fees, biometrics costs, and how to save on attorney fees.Cost
- N-400 Document Checklist 2026Everything you need to gather before submitting your citizenship application.Checklist
- Filing N-400 Without a LawyerWhen you can file solo, when you need help, and how guided prep saves thousands.Self-Filing
- N-400 Interview Questions 2026What USCIS officers ask during the naturalization interview and how to prepare.Interview
Related pages
Where this fits
The standard N-400 page, and the forms on either side of a marriage-based path.