need to have been

[ostap77]

"You need to have been living in Ukraine for 5 years to become a Ukraine national." How would you interpret this sentence? If were giving advice or talking about immigration formalities, I would say it refers to becoming a Ukraine citizen in the future after a person has lived in Ukraine for 5 years. I wonder if it could refer to a person who's already become a Ukraine national?

 

[Grumpy]

"If I were giving advice or talking about immigration formalities, I would say it refers to becoming a Ukraine citizen in the future after a person has lived in Ukraine for 5 years."
I agree with you on that.
However, in discussing someone who has already become a Ukraine national, then you would put it as "He had to have been living in (the) Ukraine for 5 years before becoming a Ukraine national", or "He had to have lived..."

 

[ostap77]

Or he could probably say "I needed to have........" What do you think?

 

[SoothingDave]

Correct. "You need to..." refers to a future action. To describe the past, either "I needed to..." or "I had to..."

 

[ostap77]

Would this grammatical construction be more typical of AmE? Or is it both AmE and BrE?

 

[ostap77]

I would kindly ask you to give me an answer. I need to include in my semestrial research paper.

 

[Rover_KE]

It's OK in BE.

 

[ostap77]

Could I get an answer on the American part?

 

[ostap77]

Since there hasn't been any answer on the American part, it wouldn't be as frequently used in AmE as in BE?

 

[5jj]

Since there hasn't been any answer on the American part, it wouldn't be as frequently used in AmE as in BE?

Don't assume that. Wait for an American.

 

[SoothingDave]

It's perfectly normal in AmE.