Citizenship Interview: Questions, Documents and Results

The citizenship interview is a one-on-one appointment at your local USCIS field office where an officer places you under oath, goes through your Form N-400 answer by answer, and gives you the English and civics tests. At the end you receive a written result on Form N-652: granted, continued or denied. If USCIS cannot decide that day, federal regulations give it 120 days from the interview to do so. For most applicants this is the only time they meet a USCIS officer before becoming a citizen.

This guide covers what to bring, the questions officers ask, how the tests fit in, what each result means and what to do if something goes wrong. It is general information, not legal advice. If your case involves an arrest, a long absence or any earlier immigration problem, talk to an attorney before the interview, not after. The official form and instructions are at uscis.gov/n-400.

The naturalization interview at a glance

When the interview is scheduled

USCIS schedules the interview after your biometrics have been collected and the background checks are complete. The agency does not publish how long that stage takes by itself. What it publishes is the total time from filing to decision, and as of October 13, 2026 field offices were completing 80% of N-400 cases within 9 to 18 months, with a national median of 7.4 months for fiscal year 2026. The office-by-office table is in our N-400 processing time guide.

The notice gives a date, a time and the office address. Read it the day it arrives. It also lists what to bring.

If you cannot attend

Ask to reschedule as early as possible by following the instructions on the notice or contacting the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283. Rescheduling puts you back in the queue and can add months, so do it only when you must.

Do not simply skip the appointment. Under 8 CFR 335.6, if you fail to appear and do not notify USCIS of the reason within 30 days, the application is treated as abandoned and administratively closed. You can ask in writing to reopen it within one year. After that, USCIS dismisses the application and you would have to file again and pay again.

What to bring to the citizenship interview

Your appointment notice is the authoritative list for your case. In general, bring originals of everything you sent copies of, plus anything that has changed since you filed.

Everyone

• The interview appointment notice
• Your Permanent Resident Card (green card)
• A state-issued ID such as a driver's license
• All passports and travel documents, current and expired, that cover the last 5 years (3 for spouse-based cases)
• A copy of your N-400 as filed, so you can follow along

Depending on your case

• Marriage-based filing: original marriage certificate, proof your spouse is a citizen, divorce or death certificates for prior marriages, and current evidence of your life together such as joint tax transcripts, a lease or mortgage and bank statements
• Name change: the court order, marriage certificate or divorce decree
• Any arrest or citation: certified court dispositions for every incident, even dismissed ones
• Taxes: IRS tax transcripts for the statutory period, and a payment agreement if you owe
• Trips over 6 months: proof you kept your U.S. home, job and family ties
• Child support: proof of payments
• Selective Service: registration confirmation or a status information letter
• A Request for Evidence you answered: a copy of what you sent

Put the documents in the order of the form. Officers work through the N-400 from Part 1 to Part 9, and handing over the right paper in seconds sets the tone.

What happens during the interview

1. Check-in and security. You go through screening at the building entrance, check in and wait to be called. Arrive early enough for the line, but offices generally do not admit applicants far ahead of the appointment time.
2. The oath to tell the truth. The USCIS Policy Manual says the officer introduces himself or herself, explains the purpose of the examination and places you under oath at the start. Everything you say after that is sworn testimony.
3. Identity check. The officer looks at your green card, ID and passports.
4. The tests. Reading, writing and civics are given by the officer, often near the beginning. Speaking is judged from the whole conversation.
5. Review of the N-400. The officer's questions must cover every requirement for naturalization and generally follow the information on your application.
6. Corrections and signature. Changes are entered, and you sign to confirm the application is true and correct as amended. This is Part 15 of the form, which you left blank when filing.
7. Result. The officer gives you Form N-652.

If you filed with an attorney or accredited representative, that person may sit in. The Policy Manual describes the representative's role as protecting your legal rights: he or she may advise you on the law but should not answer questions directed at you.

Citizenship interview questions: what officers ask

People often look for a secret list of N-400 interview questions. There is none. The questions are the ones already on your application, asked aloud, plus follow-ups where an answer has changed or needs explaining. The Policy Manual tells officers to repeat and rephrase questions until they are satisfied that you understand, so it is fine to say, "Could you repeat that, please?"

About you and your history

• What is your full legal name? Have you used any other names?
• What is your date of birth? Where were you born?
• When did you become a permanent resident?
• Where do you live now? How long have you lived there? Where did you live before?
• Where do you work? What do you do there?
• Are you married? What is your spouse's name? Is your spouse a U.S. citizen?
• How many children do you have?
• How many trips outside the United States have you taken in the last five years? When was the last one, and how long were you gone?

The yes or no questions from Part 9

These are read close to how they are printed on the form. A few, quoted from the 01/20/25 edition:

• "Have you EVER been arrested, cited, detained or confined by any law enforcement officer, military official (in the U.S. or elsewhere), or immigration official for any reason, or been charged with a crime or offense?"
• "Have you EVER given any U.S. Government officials any information or documentation that was false, fraudulent, or misleading?"
• "Have you EVER been removed or deported from the United States?"
• "Do you now have, or did you EVER have, a hereditary title or an order of nobility in any foreign country?"
• "Do you support the Constitution and form of Government of the United States?"
• "If the law requires it, are you willing to bear arms (carry weapons) on behalf of the United States?"
• "If the law requires it, are you willing to perform work of national importance under civilian direction (do non-military work that the U.S. Government says is important to the country)?"

Officers sometimes check that you understand the vocabulary by asking what a word means, for example "What does it mean to bear arms?" or "What is an oath?" Read Part 9 of your own copy a few times beforehand and look up any word you could not explain in simple English. The form itself helps: many questions include a plain-language explanation in parentheses.

How to answer

• Tell the truth, including when the truth is inconvenient. A false statement under oath to get an immigration benefit can by itself block naturalization.
• Answer the question asked, briefly. "Yes," "No" or one sentence is usually enough.
• If something changed since you filed, such as a new job, address, trip, child, marriage or traffic ticket, say so when the officer reaches that section.
• If you do not know or do not remember, say that. Do not guess at dates.
• If you do not understand, ask the officer to repeat or rephrase.

The tests during the interview

Unless you are exempt, you take both tests at this appointment.

• English: read one sentence aloud out of up to three, write one dictated sentence out of up to three, and show you can speak and understand English through the interview itself.
• Civics, 2025 version (filed on or after October 20, 2025): up to 20 oral questions from the list of 128. You pass with 12 correct. The officer stops at 12 correct or 9 incorrect.
• Civics, 2008 version (filed before October 20, 2025): up to 10 oral questions from the list of 100. You pass with 6 correct.

Applicants who qualify under the 50/20 or 55/15 rules skip the English test and may take civics in their own language. Those who are 65 or older with 20 years of residence get a 10-question civics test drawn from 20 designated questions. Sample questions and a study plan are in the U.S. citizenship test guide.

Interpreters

You can bring an interpreter only if you are eligible to use one, which generally means you are exempt from the English requirement by age and residence or through an approved Form N-648. You arrange and pay for the interpreter yourself. The Policy Manual requires the interpreter to translate word for word without adding opinions or answers, to complete an interpreter's oath and privacy release, and to show government-issued ID. It says a disinterested person should be used, so a relative with a stake in your case may not be accepted.

How long is the citizenship interview?

USCIS does not publish a standard or average length for the naturalization interview, and we found no official figure to quote. The time depends on how much the officer has to cover: your travel history, any arrests or citations, a marriage that has to be documented, name changes, and the tests themselves. The 2025 civics test, with up to 20 questions instead of 10, can add time. Security screening, check-in and waiting are outside your control, so keep the rest of the day flexible and do not schedule anything tight afterward.

What to wear

There is no official dress code for the interview. Dress the way you would for a job interview or an appointment at a bank: clean, neat and comfortable. Avoid clothing with political slogans or offensive text. You will pass through a security checkpoint, so leave pocket knives, pepper spray and similar items at home.

Naturalization interview results: reading Form N-652

The USCIS Policy Manual says the officer must give you a notice of results at the end of the interview regardless of the outcome, using Form N-652, Naturalization Interview Results. The notice states the outcome and, in a continued case, should explain the next steps. USCIS does not publish the N-652 on its website, so the wording on your own copy is what counts. The three outcomes below are described the way USCIS and the Policy Manual describe them.

An approval at the interview is not yet citizenship. Under the Policy Manual, a different officer re-verifies every approved application for quality and may raise eligibility issues, and USCIS does not schedule the oath if it receives potentially disqualifying information after approval. In that case it can issue a motion to reopen and decide the application again. You remain a permanent resident, with a permanent resident's obligations, until the ceremony. Keep your green card, and keep answering honestly on the ceremony questionnaire about anything that happens in between, such as travel or an arrest.

A decision cannot be made yet

Sometimes the officer continues the case even though you passed both tests and no documents were requested. The Policy Manual allows a continuance when more information is needed, when the applicant needs to be rescheduled, "or for other relevant reasons," and the notice of results should tell you what happens next. The regulation at 8 CFR 335.3(a) requires a decision at the initial examination or within 120 days after it, so the clock runs from your interview date. If that period ends with no decision, section 336(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1447(b)) lets you apply for a hearing to the U.S. district court for the district where you live. The court may either determine the matter itself or remand it to USCIS with instructions. That is a lawsuit, so consult an attorney first. A case inquiry with USCIS or a request through your congressional representative's office is the lower-cost first step.

After the interview: how long until the oath?

USCIS says that if your application is approved, you "may be able to participate in a naturalization ceremony on the same day as your interview." When a same-day ceremony is not available, the agency mails Form N-445 with the date, time and place, and posts it in your online account. USCIS does not publish an average wait between interview and oath, and it differs from office to office and between administrative ceremonies run by USCIS and judicial ceremonies run by a court.

If you asked for a legal name change on your N-400, expect a judicial ceremony, because only a court can grant it. What to expect on the day is covered in our oath ceremony guide.

If your application is denied

The denial notice states the reasons. You have two routes:

• Request a hearing on Form N-336. File within 30 calendar days of receiving the decision, or 33 days if it was mailed. A different officer reviews the case and can take new evidence and retest you on a failed portion. The fee is $780 online or $830 on paper as of October 2026.
• File a new N-400 when the problem is cured, for example once enough time has passed after a long absence. You pay the filing fee again.

If the hearing officer also denies the application, you can ask a federal district court to review it. A denial based on criminal history or on how you obtained your green card can have consequences beyond the N-400, so get legal advice before choosing a route.

A two-week preparation checklist

1. Reread your entire N-400 and mark anything that has changed.
2. Write a dated list of every trip abroad since filing.
3. Order current IRS transcripts and certified court records if they apply.
4. Collect originals of every document you submitted as a copy.
5. Practice the civics questions aloud daily. Confirm the current names of your senators, representative and governor.
6. Practice reading and writing sentences from the official vocabulary lists.
7. Look up every word in Part 9 you could not define.
8. Plan your route, parking and arrival time. Check the office's entry rules on the notice.
9. Pack the folder the night before, with the appointment notice on top.

Related guides

If you have not filed yet, start with how to become a U.S. citizen and the N-400 form guide. Costs are in the N-400 fee guide.