Form N-400Application for Naturalization

You may file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, 90 calendar days before you complete your continuous residence requirement if your eligibility for naturalization is based upon being a:

Permanent resident for at least 5 years; or

Permanent resident for at least 3 years if you are married to a US citizen.

You generally have 2 options for filing your Form N-400 with USCIS:

Online; or

By mail (paper).

Filing Your Form N-400 Online

You must create a USCIS online account to file your Form N-400 online. Having an online account will also allow you to:

Pay your filing fee online;

Check the status of your case;

Receive notifications and case updates;

View personalized case completion date estimates;

Respond to requests for evidence; and

Manage your contact information, including updating your address.

Filing Form N- 400 with the required fee: You may file your Form N-400 online using your USCIS online account.

Attorneys and accredited representatives: You may create an online representative account, which will allow you to manage your clients’ applications in one place and file Form N-400 applications on behalf of your clients online.

Reduced fee or fee waiver requests:

If you are requesting a reduced fee or filing a fee waiver, you cannot file Form N-400 online. You must file a paper Form N-400 along with the appropriate waiver request and required evidence.

Filing Your Form N-400 by Mail

If you submit Form N-400 on paper, we will mail you a USCIS Account Acceptance Notice with instructions on how to create an online account to track and manage your case. We will process your application even if you do not create an online account, but we encourage you to create and access your online account. We will continue to mail you copies of notifications about your case. Please check our Direct Filing Addresses for Form N-400 page for information on where to mail your application. If you do not submit your applications to the appropriate direct filing address, your case may take longer to process.

You cannot file online if you are requesting a fee waiver or a reduced fee; you must file a paper Form N-400.

If you are paying the full filing fee:

Select “No” in Part 10, Item Number 1

Skip to Part 11

Submit $760 if filing by paper, or $710 if filing online

If you are applying for a reduced fee:

Select “Yes” in Part 10, Item Number 1

Complete the rest of Part 10

Submit $380 and documentation to support the reduced fee

If you are applying for a fee waiver:

You are not required to complete Part 10, Item Number 1.

Do not submit a fee, and instead submit a properly completed Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, or written request, and documentation to support the fee waiver request.

Filing Tips: Review our Tips for Filing Forms by Mail page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form.

Don’t forget to sign your form. We will reject any unsigned form.

You can find the filing fee for Form N-400 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.

We provide free forms through the USCIS website. To view, print, or complete our forms, you should use the latest version of Adobe Reader, which you can download for free at http://get.adobe.com/reader/. You can find additional helpful resources and free study materials for the English and civics requirements at www.uscis.gov/citizenship. Signature. You (or your signing authority) must properly complete your application. USCIS will not accept a stamped or typewritten name in place of any signature on this application. If you are under 14 years of age, your mother, father or legal guardian may sign the application on your behalf. A legal guardian, surrogate, or designated representative may sign for a person who is unable to understand or communicate an understanding of the Oath of Allegiance because of a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment. If your application is not signed, or if the signature is not valid, we will reject your application. See 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii)(A). If USCIS accepts a request for adjudication and determines that it has a deficient signature, USCIS may reject or deny the request. Validity of Signatures. USCIS will consider a photocopied, faxed, or scanned copy of an original benefit request with a handwritten signature as valid for filing purposes. The photocopy, fax, or scan must be of the original request or document containing the handwritten ink signature. Filing Fee. See Form G-1055, available at www.uscis.gov/forms, for specific information about the fees applicable to this form. Evidence. When you file your application, you must submit all evidence and supporting documents at the time of filing; however, USCIS may accept evidence you provide at your interview. See each part of the Specific Instructions by Item Number for the specific evidence required. Biometric Services Appointment. USCIS may require you to appear for an interview and provide biometrics (fingerprints, photograph, and/or signature) at any time to verify your identity, obtain additional information, and conduct background and security checks, including a check of criminal history records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), before making a decision on your application or petition. If we determine that a biometric services appointment is necessary, we will send you an appointment notice with the date, time, and location of your appointment. If you are currently overseas, your notice will instruct you to contact a U.S. Embassy, U.S. Consulate, or USCIS office outside the United States to set up an appointment. At your biometrics appointment, you must sign an oath reaffirming that:

1. You provided or authorized all information in the application;

2. You reviewed and understood all of the information contained in, and submitted with, your application; and

3. All of this information was complete, true, and correct at the time of filing. If you do not attend your biometric services appointment, we may deny your application. Photograph Requirements for Applicants Residing Outside the United States Certain applicants for naturalization may be eligible for naturalization even though they reside outside the United States, including current members of the U.S. armed forces, their spouses, former members of the U.S. armed forces who served during a designated period of hostilities, and spouses of U.S. citizens working for a qualified employer outside the United States. If you are applying from outside the United States because you are in one of those categories, you must submit two identical color passport-style photographs of yourself taken recently. The photos must have a white to off-white background, be printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and be unmounted and unretouched. The photos must be 2 by 2 inches with a full face, frontal view. Head height should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin, and eye height should measure between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches from the top of your eyes to the bottom of the photo. Your head must be bare unless you are wearing headwear required by your religious denomination. Using a pencil or felt pen to lightly print your name and A-Number (if any) on the back of the photos. Copies. You should submit legible photocopies of requested documents unless the Instructions specifically instruct you to submit an original document. USCIS may request an original document at any time during our process. If we request an original document from you, we will return it to you after USCIS determines it no longer needs the original. NOTE: If you submit original documents when they are not required or requested, USCIS may destroy them after we receive them. Translations. If you submit a document with information in a foreign language, you must also submit a full English translation. The translator must sign a certification that the English language translation is complete and accurate, and that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English. The certification must also include the translator’s signature, printed name, the signature date, and the translator’s contact information. USCIS Contact Center. For additional information on the application and Instructions about where to file, change of address, and other questions, visit the USCIS Contact Center at www.uscis.gov/contactcenter or call 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833). The USCIS Contact Center provides information in English and Spanish.

1. Type or print legibly in black ink.

2. If you need extra space to complete any item within this application, use the space provided in Part 14. Additional Information. Type or print your name and A-Number (if any), at the top of each sheet; indicate the Page Number, Part Number, and Item Number to which your answer refers; and sign and date each sheet.

3. Answer all questions fully and accurately. If a question does not apply to you (for example, if you have never been married and the question asks “Provide the name of your current spouse”), type or print “N/A” unless otherwise directed. If your answer to a question that requires a numeric response is zero or none (for example, “How many children do you have” or “How many times have you departed the United States”), type or print “None” unless otherwise directed.

4. Avoid highlighting, crossing out, or typing or printing outside the area provided for a response. If you must make substantial corrections to your Form N-400, USCIS recommends that you start a new Form N-400 rather than using correction tape or fluid to correct the information. Our scanners may see through the white correction tape or fluid. This may lead to incorrect information being captured in our systems, which may cause processing delays or a rejection of your Form N-400.

5. Provide your A-Number (if any), on the top right corner of each page. Your A-Number is located on your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card, formerly known as the Alien Registration Card). The A-Number on your card consists of a sevento nine-digit number, depending on when your record was created. If the A-Number on your card has fewer than nine digits, place enough zeros before the first number to make a total of nine digits on Form N-400. For example, type or print number A1234567 as A001234567 or type or print number A12345678 as A012345678. The A-Number may be located on the front or back of your card, depending on when the card was issued.

6. Your application must be properly completed, signed, and filed. You must include all pages when you file Form N-400, even if the pages are blank. A photocopy of the original application is acceptable as long as all signatures on the application are handwritten. USCIS will not accept a stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature.

Please see our website at www.uscis.gov/N-400 for the most current information about where to file this application.

You must notify USCIS of your new address within 10 days of moving from your previous residence. For information on changing your address, go to our website at www.uscis.gov/addresschange, or call the USCIS Contact Center. NOTE: Do not submit a change of address request to the USCIS Lockbox. Current Members of the U.S. Armed Forces Call the Military Help Line at 877-247-4645 if you are transferred to a new duty station after you file your Form N-400, including if you are deployed outside the United States or to a vessel.

USCIS will reject any Form N-400 that is not signed or accompanied by the correct filing fee. Form N-400 will also be rejected if you use an incorrect payment method or pay more than you are required to pay. We may also reject any application that is not completed in accordance with these Instructions, is missing pages, or otherwise not executed in its entirety, or is not accompanied by the required initial evidence. If you do not provide a complete and valid mailing address, USCIS may not be able to return the fee if your Form N-400 is rejected. If we reject your Form N-400, we will return the application and any fees to you and notify you why the application is considered deficient. You may correct the deficiency and refile Form N-400. An application is not considered properly filed until USCIS accepts it. Initial Processing. Once USCIS accepts your application, we will check it for completeness. If you do not properly complete this application, you will not establish a basis for your eligibility and we may reject or deny your application. Requests for More Information. USCIS may request that you provide more information or evidence to support your application. We may also request that you provide the originals of any copies you submit. If we request an original document from you, we will return it to you after USCIS determines it is no longer needed. Requests for Interview. We will request that you appear for an interview based on your application. During your interview, USCIS may require you to provide your biometrics to verify your identity and update background and security checks. Decision. The decision on Form N-400 involves a determination of whether you have established eligibility for the immigration benefit you are seeking. USCIS will notify you of our decision in writing.

Please do not submit this checklist with your Form N-400. The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form. Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations.

If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that the translator is competent to translate from the foreign language into English.

Form N-400 Checklist of Required Documents

Basis for Filing

Documentation

All applicants must provide (if applicable)

LPR Card (Green Card): A copy of your Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card) (both sides)

Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions: If you have a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment that prevents you from complying with the English language and/or civics requirements for naturalization, submit a completed Form N-648 to request an exception to the English language and/or civics tests.

Marital Status: Provide current marriage certificate and any divorce decree, annulment decree, or death certificate showing that your prior marriages were terminated (if applicable).

Good Moral Character:

Documentation of crimes and offenses: If You Have EVER:  You Must Provide:

Been arrested or detained for any reason anywhere in the world and NO CHARGES WERE FILED.

An arrest report; and

An official statement from the arresting agency or applicable court confirming that no charges were filed.

Been convicted or placed in an alternative sentence program (such as diversion, deferred prosecution, withheld adjudication, deferred adjudication) or rehabilitative program (including a drug treatment or community service program).

The sentencing record for each incident; and

Evidence that you completed your alternative sentencing or rehabilitative programs.

Been arrested or detained for any reason anywhere in the world and CHARGES WERE FILED.

Documentation of all arrest reports, charging documents, court dispositions, sentencing reports, and any other relevant documents; and

Any additional evidence that you would like us to consider concerning the circumstances of your arrests