Feds Shortening Time Required Outside of U.S. to Get Citizenship

Family members of U.S. citizens will no longer have to leave the country for years to apply for citizenship, just weeks

The road to a green card will be less burdensome for some spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens after an administrative change announced today by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The change will cut down on the amount of time that some undocumented immigrants are separated from their immediate family members during the journey to legal status. So instead of spending months or even years abroad, a person may face as little as a few weeks outside of the U.S.