URGENT: really need answers, please!!!

[jess1258]

I have been a resident of Los Angeles, CA, for atleast fifteen year now. I have been a green card holder since March of 2001 and I was wondering when I would be eligible to apply for citizenship. I got married last year in August, and I desperately need to petition my wife as soon as possible. She is already in the U.S. and has been for years now. I have been told that it would be wise to wait until I become a citizen to petition her, but we really need to find a way for her to be able to work and finish school during the waiting process. How long does the citizenship process take? If I petitioned her now as a green card holder, how long would it take for her to obtain a work permit? What can we do? Please help me!!!

Thanks,
Jess

 

[baikal3]

I have been a resident of Los Angeles, CA, for atleast fifteen year now. I have been a green card holder since March of 2001 and I was wondering when I would be eligible to apply for citizenship. I got married last year in August, and I desperately need to petition my wife as soon as possible. She is already in the U.S. and has been for years now. I have been told that it would be wise to wait until I become a citizen to petition her, but we really need to find a way for her to be able to work and finish school during the waiting process. How long does the citizenship process take? If I petitioned her now as a green card holder, how long would it take for her to obtain a work permit? What can we do? Please help me!!!

Thanks,
Jess

What JoeF wrote is correct. If you file I-130 for your wife now as a GC holder, it will take years before the PD date becomes current and only after that would she get the rights to any kind of an immigration status.
So your best bet is to wait for your citizenship since after that there are no quotas and no waiting times for the spouse's GC application.

You can file the N-400 citizenship application form as early as 90 days before 5 years since your I-485 approval date. The processing times vary substantially since N-400 are dealt with by the local USCIS offices. You can look-up the current processing times at the USCIS website. It does uppear that from the moment of filing N-400 to the oath ceremony it now takes on average less than a year; look up more info in the citizenship forum.