"Exception to Five-Year Rule for People Married to a U.S. Citizen
You need to wait a mere three years to apply for U.S. citizenship if, during that time, you have been a permanent (or conditional) resident married to, as well as living with, a U.S. citizen. (See the Immigration and Nationality Act at I.N.A. Section 319(a) or 8 U.S.C. section 1430(a).) You will need to provide proof that you qualify along with your application.
This exception applies even if you did not get your green card through this marriage. So, for example, you could have gotten a green card through your employer, then married a U.S. citizen soon after, and you still need wait only three years from the date of your marriage to apply for citizenship."
Found this online, but not sure if the 3 year starts on the date of our marriage or the date I got my green card through my employer.
(I got my green card on July 1, 2011 but we got married on Feb 1, 2014. So question is when is my earliest date to apply for citizenship? 5 years from July 1 2011 or 3 years from July 1 2011 or 3 years from Feb 1 2014?
-Because you got the green card before you got married, you can apply for the US citizenship either after 3 years from the date you married the US citizen (use the marriage benefit) or after 5 years from the date you got your green card (not use the marriage benefit).
