Immigration Site

Hello all...I have a question and I would like your advice on this matter please..

My father in law is a green card holder and eligible to apply for citizenship but there is some confusion. He has a fiancee and they have a 10 year old son but they(lady and son) do not live in the US. He wants to get married and file for them so they could join him. I was very surprised when he called the other day and when I asked how his citizenship application is going he told me he has not yet filed and was advised by some friend to get married first then apply for the citizenship so that the wife and boy could get through quicker. I told him that he should apply for the N-400 as soon as possible and he can marry while he is waiting for it to be finalized. Am I wrong?
Should he apply for N-400 first then get married and wait to get his citizenship then file for his wife and son or
Should he marry first then apply N-400 then file for wife and son after getting the citizenship or
Does it matter at all?

I hope I made some sense because it does sound confusing. They are planning to get married in December.

If he gets citizenship before marriage, he has the option to file for a fiancee visa to bring her to the US and then marry her, or marry her and then file directly for a green card.

If he marries before citizenship, he can file for his wife even before he becomes a citizen, although it might be better to file for her after becoming a citizen so the application will be immediately placed into the faster immediate relative queue (instead of the slower F2A category followed by an upgrade process which could add delays).

Thanks for the advice Jackolantern. So essentially he should not file for them until his citizenship is granted thus ensuring that they get into the faster category and avoiding delays. He however can marry her in December but must submit his N-400 asap, right?
I will give him a call later.

Thanks for the advice Jackolantern. So essentially he should not file for them until his citizenship is granted thus ensuring that they get into the faster category and avoiding delays. He however can marry her in December but must submit his N-400 asap, right?
I will give him a call later.
Yes, he can file N400 now but marry in December 2010. If he wants, he can also file the I-130 now, and once he received a Notice of Action for the I-130, indicate that she will do the consular process, upgrade the petition to immediate relative once hes sworn as a citizen.