To go from permanent resident to U.S. citizen, you file Form N-400 after meeting the residence requirement, complete a biometrics appointment, sit for an interview that includes English and civics tests, and take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony. The full process typically runs six to ten months from filing to oath, depending on your local USCIS office’s caseload.
When You’re Eligible to Apply
You need to be at least 18 and a lawful permanent resident. Under the general rule, that means five years of continuous residence in the United States after receiving your green card, with at least 30 months of physical presence during that period.1eCFR. 8 CFR Part 316 – General Requirements for Naturalization If you’re married to a U.S. citizen and have lived in marital union with that spouse the entire time, the requirement drops to three years of continuous residence and 18 months of physical presence.2eCFR. 8 CFR Part 319 – Special Classes of Persons Who May Be Naturalized: Spouses of United States Citizens
You can file Form N-400 up to 90 days before you hit the continuous residence requirement. USCIS won’t approve you until the full residency period has passed, but filing early gets you into the queue sooner.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part D Chapter 6 – Jurisdiction, Place of Residence, and Early Filing
How Time Outside the U.S. Affects You
Travel doesn’t automatically restart the clock, but extended absences cause problems. A single trip lasting between six months and one year creates a presumption that you broke continuous residence. You can rebut that presumption with evidence such as a lease, a job, and filed tax returns, but the burden is on you.1eCFR. 8 CFR Part 316 – General Requirements for Naturalization
Any absence of one year or longer automatically breaks continuous residence. The only way to preserve eligibility is to have obtained an approved Form N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes, before leaving. Without it, you generally have to build up a fresh continuous residence period after returning.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part D Chapter 3 – Continuous Residence
The Good Moral Character Review
USCIS evaluates your moral character across the entire statutory period before your application. Certain criminal convictions are permanent bars: murder at any time, an aggravated felony committed on or after November 29, 1990, and participation in genocide, torture, or Nazi-era persecution.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part F Chapter 4 – Permanent Bars to Good Moral Character Less severe criminal history isn’t automatically disqualifying, but any arrests or convictions will get scrutiny at the interview.
Two other issues trip up applicants often. Failing to file tax returns is one of the most common problems. USCIS treats tax compliance as a positive indicator, and unpaid taxes work against you. If you owe, pay before the interview, and bring copies of your returns for the full statutory period (five years for the general track, three for the spousal track).
The second is Selective Service. Male applicants who lived in the U.S. between ages 18 and 25 had to register. If you’re now over 26 and never did, that gap can delay or block your application.6Selective Service System. Men 26 and Older You can still naturalize if you show by a preponderance of the evidence that the failure to register wasn’t knowing and willful. Request a status information letter from Selective Service and prepare a written explanation. USCIS decides whether it’s enough.
Filing Form N-400
Form N-400 officially starts the process. You can file online through the USCIS portal or mail a paper version to a USCIS Lockbox facility. Filing online gives you instant confirmation of receipt and digital case tracking.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Naturalization – N-400
The form asks for detailed personal history: every residential address, every job, and every trip outside the United States during the statutory period, with exact departure and return dates. USCIS uses that travel data to calculate whether you’ve met continuous residence and physical presence. Reconstructing years of travel from memory is where applicants introduce the errors that cause delays, so pull records before you sit down to fill out the form.
Required supporting documents include a photocopy of both sides of your green card. If you live outside the United States, you’ll also need two passport-style photographs. Any document in a foreign language needs a full English translation with a signed certification from the translator.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Naturalization – N-400
Fees and Waivers
The filing fee is $760 for paper submissions or $710 online. There is no separate biometrics fee.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule Military applicants filing under INA sections 328 or 329 pay nothing.
Two forms of relief are available if the fee is a hardship. A reduced fee of $380 applies if your household income is at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; you file on paper and include a copy of each household member’s most recent federal tax return.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines A full waiver is available if you receive a means-tested benefit, your household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or you face extreme financial hardship; submit Form I-912 with your N-400.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Fact Sheet – Form N-400 Application for Naturalization Filing Fees Both the reduced fee and full waiver require paper filing.
Biometrics and the Interview
After USCIS accepts your application, you’ll get a notice for a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center. A technician takes your fingerprints, photograph, and digital signature for a federal background check.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment Bring the notice and your green card. Missing the appointment without rescheduling can cause USCIS to treat your application as abandoned.
The interview is the heart of the process. A USCIS officer places you under oath, reviews your N-400 answers, asks follow-up questions, and administers the English and civics tests in the same session. Discrepancies between the form and what you say in person are taken seriously. If anything in your life has changed since filing (a new address, a new job, an arrest), update the record at the interview.
The English and Civics Tests
The English portion checks your ability to read, write, and speak words in ordinary usage. You don’t need to be eloquent, but you need to communicate clearly about your application and eligibility.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part E Chapter 2 – English and Civics Testing
For civics, the officer asks 10 questions from a standardized list about U.S. history and government, and you need six correct. The officer stops as soon as you hit six right or five wrong. Anyone who filed Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025, takes the 2025 version of the test, a modified version of the earlier 2020 civics test. Some answers change based on current officeholders, so use current study materials.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Check for Test Updates
Exemptions and Retakes
Two age-and-residence combinations let you skip the English portion:
- The 50/20 rule: you are 50 or older at filing and have been a permanent resident for at least 20 years.
- The 55/15 rule: you are 55 or older at filing and have been a permanent resident for at least 15 years.
Under either exemption, you still take the civics test, but you can take it in your native language with an interpreter.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Exceptions and Accommodations
If you fail either test, USCIS schedules a second attempt between 60 and 90 days later, and you only retake the portion you failed. A second failure results in denial, though you can reapply.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part B Chapter 4 – Results of the Naturalization Examination
The Oath Ceremony
Approval alone doesn’t make you a citizen. You become one when you take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony. There you’ll recite the oath, turn in your green card, and receive a Certificate of Naturalization. Check the certificate for errors before you leave the venue; fixing them later is significantly harder.16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization Ceremonies
What to Do Right After
Your Certificate of Naturalization is proof of citizenship, but a few administrative steps should follow quickly.
Apply for a U.S. passport through the State Department. Submit your original Certificate of Naturalization with a photocopy.17U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. New U.S. Citizens The passport gives you a second form of citizenship documentation and is required for international travel as a U.S. citizen.
Update your records with the Social Security Administration. Start online with a replacement card request, which triggers an in-person appointment where you bring proof of identity and your new citizenship status. The updated card arrives by mail within five to ten business days.18Social Security Administration. Update Citizenship or Immigration Status
Register to vote. Many oath ceremonies distribute voter registration forms on-site. If yours doesn’t, register through your state or local election office.
If Your Application Is Denied
A denial isn’t necessarily final. You have 30 calendar days from the date you receive the denial notice to file Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings. That gets you a fresh hearing before a different USCIS officer, where you can present additional documents or arguments. The filing fee is $830 on paper or $780 online.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule Fee waivers are available using Form I-912, and military applicants whose N-400 was denied pay no fee for the hearing.19U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form N-336 – Request for Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings If you were denied solely because you failed the English or civics test, the simpler path is often to prepare longer and file a new N-400.