The spouse was originally a green card holder, and the applicant had a minor issue with F-1 status. We therefore advised waiting until the husband naturalized and then filing the I-485 as the spouse of a U.S. citizen.

Filing on the original green-card-holder pathway could have led to delays during the change of status.

Waiting for the spouse to naturalize and then filing as the spouse of a citizen made for a clearer pathway. After the interview, we contacted USCIS promptly to follow up and move the case forward.

Only about 7 months from filing to receiving a 10-year green card. By the time of approval, the couple had passed their second wedding anniversary, so the applicant skipped the future conditional-residence removal (I-751) step entirely.