When to apply for citizenship

[ronnie_yours]

Hi,

On June 2nd, 2007 it will be 3 years since I have my green card which I got through my wife (she is a US citizen)

When can I apply for US citizenship?
How long does it take to the the citizenship after i apply (I live in NY City)
Should I fill the forms myself or hire an attorney.

Please suggest.

Thanks
Ram

[kkboy]

3 yrs - 3 months ....

...so, next month in march, ~7-15 march. To be safe, just send it a week later.

[kkboy]

oh..answers to your other questions...

2. ) It's subjective...it takes some as early as 4 months to infinity.
3.) no need for a lawyer, you can easily do it yourself. Immihelp's info page on citizenship: http://www.immihelp.com/citizenship
should tell you exactly what to do.

[ronnie_yours]

Thank you for your answers. Is there an average time frame on how long the whole process takes

Thanks
RAm

[kkboy]

Yes...

...appears to be the average is ~6 months from filing to oath. It highly depends on the service center, and if they offer same day oath after interview. I would recommend tapping some of the NY folks and referring to their timeframe.
Taking me 6+ here in CA..hopefully should be done soon. It all depends how fast your name check/background check is done and interview is scheduled. For some folks, it's scheduled within a month after FP ...in my case, took 3 months after FP for interview.