Understanding a 5-year rule

[Alex]

Hello, I have a question about 5-year rule for applying for a citizenship.

I had been approved for a refugee status, and one year after that I have applied for a Green Card.
Now, it is been 3+ years since I have applied for a green card, and I have not received the actual card yet.

My question, therefore, is this:

Do I apply for a citizenship after it has been 5 years from the date I will actually receive my green card,

or

Do I apply for a citizenship after it has been 5 years from the date my refugee application was approved?

Please help to understand, it may mean years of difference.
Thank you in advance.

Alex.

[prgrmr]

you are eligible for citizenship after 5 years since you were approved for permanent residency status.

[Allan Samson]

You may apply for naturalization 5 years (or, to be exact, within 90 days of five years) after obtaining your green card. It seems to me that you have been waiting too long to get your green card from refugee status. You may want to inquire. I know that it takes more than 4 years to get a green card after you have been granted asylum, but I do not thaink the wait is that long from refugee status. Good Luck, ALLAN SAMSON

[Alex]

Prgrmr,

"you are eligible for citizenship after 5 years since you were approved for permanent residency status."

And that means? I know, this line is everywhere you look. Does that means that assylym or refugee approval letter is, in fact, an approval for a permanent residency status? When do you get approved for permannent residency status?

Thank you.

[Alex]

Allan Samson,

Thank you for answering me.

Actually, I am sorry, but I have mixed myself up on terminology, I have been approved for assylym, not refuge, if these are not the same.

I understand your answer as: I can apply for a citizenship 5 years after I will physically receive the card itself. That moment is the "approval for permanent residency".

Thank you very much,
Alex.

[ooo]

Do not mix two separate events:
- approval for permanent residence status (you should receive a "congratulation letter" from INS). It should have a date on it. That is your approval date.

- you can wait for actual "physical" card for 5 months (average that INS gives you when you ask "how long?") BUT in many cases it is longer.

Listen what happened to me: We won a green card, and waited for six months (in the US), cards never showed up. After we asked why, it happened to be that they tried to send them at the address we gave at the port of entry and that address have changed, and they send the cards back to where they came from. Finally they have a rule that if the owner cannot be located they destroy cards right away.

Anyway, the best thing for you is to go to your local INS and ask them what happened. By "A" number they can tell you where are you at. One more. Take copies of all your previous applications and attachments, sometimes they ask for additional info that no normal person can remember from the top of the head.

[Allan Samson]

You must first apply for permanent residence. This currently takes more than 4 years because only 1,000 asylees are allowed to adjust to permanent residence each year and there are currently more than 4,000 asylees who have applied. This means the wait is longer than 4 years unless Congress and the President increase this number to more than 1,000 per year. You apply for permanent residence on Forms I-485 anfd G-325A after you have been in asylee status for one year or more. Then, when you have been a permanent resident for 5 years (or 90 days short of 5 years) you can apply for your parents. Good Luck, ALLAN SAMSON

[Alex]

Thank you, everyone.
Understood. And thank you for clarifying why does it take so long to get a Green Card. I have no problems with that. Quotas are quotas. There are too many of imigrants for one country.

Thank you again, and Best Regards!
Alex.