Does the time before marriage as a US resident count towards the 3 years?

[Elvis21]

Hi all,

I received my green card through employer sponsorship 4 months before I married my US citizen spouse. Does the 4 months prior to marriage count towards the 3 year residency condition for citizenship eligibility? Or the clock starts after the marriage?

Thank you

[newacct]

To qualify for naturalization under the 3-year rule, you need to have been a permanent resident for 3 years (can apply 90 days before that), and you also needs to have been married to a US citizen for 3 years (i.e. married to the same person for 3 years, and your spouse has been a citizen for 3 years). So to answer your question, you need to wait until 3 years after your marriage.