[alttag]

Concur. My sister married a non-citizen. It took three years (and two kids) before her husband's U.S. citizenship was conferred. What a mess.

[gyardley]

That's to ensure the marriage wasn't a false one for the purposes of immigration fraud.

Honestly, as long as your brother-in-law got his permanent residency in a timely fashion and could work in the United States and live with his family, I don't think there's anything to complain about here. I went through the same process - apart from the naturalization at the end, which I've got no desire to do.

[colkassad]

This is the rule. It's five years for non-spouses I believe. I assume he was living in the US as a permanent resident during this time.