Натурализация супруги гражданина США (INA 319(a))

INA §319(a) = 8 U.S.C. §1430(a) confers a reduced 3-year continuous-residence track on an LPR who: (1) has resided continuously in the United States as an LPR for at least 3 years immediately preceding the N-400; (2) has been living in marital union with a U.S.-citizen spouse for ALL 3 of those years, with the spouse being a U.S. citizen throughout; (3) has been physically present for at least half the 3 years (>=18 months); and (4) has resided in the State/USCIS district for 3 months before filing. Good moral character, attachment to the Constitution (INA §316), English/civics (INA §312), and the oath (INA §337) apply identically to general naturalization. The 'marital union' requirement is more demanding than mere legal marriage — the couple must actually be living together in a marital relationship for the full period. As of 2026-06-01.

Under INA §319(a), the durational requirements scale to the 3-year period: continuous LPR residence for 3 years, physical presence for at least half (>=18 months), and 3 months in the State/USCIS district. The §316(b) = 8 U.S.C. §1427(b) continuous-residence break rules apply by incorporation: an absence of more than 6 months but less than 1 year creates a rebuttable presumption of a break, and an absence of 1 year or more breaks continuous residence outright absent an approved N-470. Critically, the marital-union requirement runs concurrently with the residence period — a separation or breakdown of the marriage during the 3 years (even short of divorce) can defeat eligibility because the couple must be living in marital union throughout. The §319(b) expedited track, by contrast, carries NO durational physical-presence/continuous-residence prerequisite. As of 2026-06-01.

Primary form: Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, filed on the spouse-of-U.S.-citizen (INA §319) basis. Ancillary forms: Form I-912 (fee waiver) or the reduced-fee request; Form N-648 (medical disability waiver of English and/or civics); and, where relevant, evidence packages rather than separate forms for marital bona fides. Abused-spouse applicants relying on the VAWA exception may have an underlying VAWA self-petition (Form I-360) supporting their LPR status. Form N-426 is NOT used here (that is the military honorable-service certification for INA §328/§329). On a grant, USCIS issues Form N-550 (Certificate of Naturalization). Foreign-language documents (e.g., a foreign marriage or divorce certificate) require a certified English translation under 8 CFR §103.2(b)(3), and foreign public documents are apostilled under the Hague Convention. Editions and fees current as of 2026-06-01.

The §319(a) process mirrors general naturalization with marital-proof overlays: (1) confirm 3-year LPR residence + 3-year marital union with a U.S.-citizen spouse; (2) file Form N-400 (selecting the spouse-of-U.S.-citizen basis) online or paper with fee; (3) attend biometrics; (4) attend the interview, where the officer reviews bona fides of the marriage, the spouse's citizenship duration, and tests English/civics under §312; (5) receive a decision under 8 CFR §335.2/.3; and (6) on grant, take the §337 oath and receive Form N-550. The N-400 may be filed up to 90 days before the 3-year anniversary. For the §319(b) overseas-expedited track, USCIS may expedite adjudication and arrange the interview/oath consistent with the spouse's scheduled departure abroad; the applicant must intend to reside abroad with the spouse and to take up U.S. residence immediately upon the spouse's termination of qualifying employment. As of 2026-06-01.

Section 319(a) cases follow the same administratively-variable processing as general naturalization. The LIVE authority for current adjudication times is the USCIS processing-times tool at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times (filter Form N-400 and the applicant's field office), which must be checked at filing because figures change frequently and vary by office. As a non-binding historical reference, end-to-end processing has typically run in the ~8-to-24-month range, with the 90-day early-filing window measured from the 3-year anniversary; this range is an as-of-2026-06-01 reference, not a guarantee, and the egov.uscis.gov tool is controlling. The §319(b) overseas-expedited track is, by design, faster: USCIS prioritizes scheduling so the spouse can be naturalized before accompanying the citizen spouse abroad, though no fixed statutory deadline applies. The statutory decision framework is INA §336(b) = 8 U.S.C. §1447(b): if USCIS fails to decide within 120 days of the examination, the applicant may seek district-court intervention. Individual cases vary with background-check completion and marital-bona-fides review. As of 2026-06-01, verify current figures at the USCIS tool.

The Form N-400 fee matrix is identical to general naturalization, set by the USCIS 2024 Final Fee Rule (89 FR 6194, eff. 1 Apr 2024): $760 paper / $710 online / $380 approved reduced-fee, with biometrics generally included. A full fee waiver via Form I-912 is available on inability-to-pay grounds. There is no separate or surcharged fee for the §319(a) spouse basis or the §319(b) overseas-expedited track — the reduced residence period and expedited handling do not change the filing fee. VAWA self-petitioners and certain humanitarian categories may have fee-exemption or fee-waiver eligibility on the underlying petition. These figures are pinned to the Evidence Table, not generated from training data; the N-400 fee page was last reviewed 16 Mar 2026, and the matrix is current as of 2026-06-01.

Семейный статус: INA §319 = 8 USC. §1430 (66 Закон 244), в INA 1952 года (Pub. L. 82-414, 66 Закон 163) с поправками, внесенными в Pub. Л. 119-21 (4 июля 2025 г.). Подраздел (a) представляет собой трехлетнюю программу сокращенного проживания; подраздел (b) представляет собой ускоренный порядок выезда за границу для супругов граждан, находящихся за границей; подраздел (d) касается оставшихся в живых граждан, погибших при исполнении почетной военной службы; и подраздел (e) (добавлен Pub. L. 110-181 §674(a), вступил в силу 28 января 2008 г.) предусматривает супругу-резидента, гражданина военнослужащего, дислоцированного за границей. Исключение VAWA для супругов, подвергшихся насилию, было добавлено Pub. Л. 106-386 (2000). Номера разделов INA соответствуют 8 U.S.C. по фиксированному смещению (INA 319 = 8 USC 1430), дважды цитируемому и проверенному правительством. Имплементационные правила содержатся в 8 CFR, часть 319 (Особые классы: супруги граждан США). Актуально по состоянию на 1 июня 2026 г.

Denial of a §319 N-400 carries the same review architecture as general naturalization: the applicant may file Form N-336 (Request for a Hearing) within 30 days under INA §336(a) = 8 U.S.C. §1447(a) and 8 CFR §336.2 for review by a higher-level USCIS officer; if that hearing affirms denial, the applicant may seek DE NOVO review in the U.S. district court under INA §310(c) = 8 U.S.C. §1421(c). Where USCIS fails to act within 120 days of the examination, INA §336(b) = 8 U.S.C. §1447(b) permits the applicant to ask the district court to decide or remand. A §319(a) denial premised on a finding that the marriage was not bona fide or that marital union lapsed is reviewable on the same de novo standard, since the court re-examines the naturalization application afresh. As of 2026-06-01.

Three statutory exceptions modify the basic spouse track: (1) the VAWA exception (added by Pub. L. 106-386, 2000) allows an abused spouse (or former spouse where the marriage was terminated by death/divorce connected to the abuse) of a U.S. citizen to self-petition and naturalize under §319(a) even where the marital union has ended due to battery or extreme cruelty; (2) INA §319(b) waives the prior-residence and physical-presence requirements entirely where the citizen spouse is regularly stationed abroad in qualifying U.S. government, recognized-research-institution, U.S.-commerce, or qualifying religious employment; and (3) INA §319(e) (Pub. L. 110-181, eff. 28 Jan 2008) provides parallel relief for the LPR spouse of a citizen armed-forces member stationed abroad. The §312 English exemptions ('50/20' and '55/15') waive ENGLISH only — civics is still required — per 8 U.S.C. §1423(b)(2) (VC-11). As of 2026-06-01.