Naturalization is the process by which a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR or “Green Card” holder) foreign citizen becomes a U.S. Citizen.
In order to naturalize, the foreign citizen must first become a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR or “Green Card” holder). Please see Immigrant Visas for more information.
For some foreign-born spouses whose American spouse work for U.S. companies in Hong Kong or Macau, or who serve in the military, the naturalization process can sometimes be expedited. “Expeditious naturalization” refers to the fact that you will not be required to wait until you have three years of residence and physical presence in the United States and you do not have to wait until you have been married for three years.
Expeditious, therefore, refers to the waiver of the three-year requirements imposed on other applicants filing as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. Although the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service does give priority to and provide special handling for these applications, it can still take six to nine months for normal processing to be completed and an interview scheduled.
Learning More
For an overview of the process, including details on what documents are needed and links to further online information please see Naturalization FAQ Sheet for Spouse of a U.S. Citizen Regularly Stationed Abroad and Residing Abroad at Time of Filing (PDF 75 KB).
Some Americans with foreign-born spouses seek to naturalize them in Hawaii. Please see the Naturalization FAQ Sheet for Spouse of a U.S. Citizen Regularly Stationed Abroad – The Honolulu Process (PDF 59 KB) for details on the process in Honolulu.
You should also consult “A Guide to Naturalization” to better understand the overall naturalization process.
Contacting the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service
The naturalization process is managed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, not by the U.S. Consulate.
Please contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services directly with any questions at hawaii.naturalization@dhs.gov. Please allow five working days for an initial response. Please also check the documents above first before emailing, as the Honolulu District Office has limited resources to manage the mailbox and respond.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Honolulu fax number is 808-532-6386.
Last modified: June 3, 2020
