If the evidence on the records of the applicants for naturalization show that they are eligible for U.S. Citizenship, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will approve their applications and send them approval notices, after the naturalization test and interview. Form N-400, Application for Naturalization filed by those whose records demonstrate that they are ineligible for citizenship will be denied and such applicants will be sent denial notices.
Successful applicants will be allowed to take part in the naturalization oath ceremony. They may either be administered the oath on the same day as their interview or required to take the oath on some other day. If an oath ceremony is unavailable on the day of their interviews, USCIS will send them letters with information on the date, time and location of the scheduled oath ceremonies.
Applicants will need to complete the questionnaire on Form N-445, Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony, that they receive from USCIS. Once they arrive at the scheduled locations, they will need to check-in with USCIS. A USCIS officer will review the questionnaire they have completed. They must then their give up their permanent resident status and return their green cards. Only after they turn in their green cards will they be allowed to take the oath.
The Oath of Allegiance will be administered by USCIS at an administrative or a judicial ceremony. Soon after the applicants take the oath, they will be issued their Certificate of Naturalization.
The new citizens need to check their natualization certificates to ensure there aren’t any mistakes. If they find any errors on their certificates, they can notify the authorities of those corrections immediately and request a corrected certificate.
Applicants who cannot attend the scheduled ceremony, will need to request USCIS to reschedule their oath ceremony. In that case, they must visit a local USCIS office and return the USCIS notice, Form N-445. This form must be returned along with a letter with the reason why they cannot make it to the scheduled ceremony.
Applicants whose naturalization applications are denied can request a hearing to appeal the decision.
Steps to Naturalization
Step 1 to Naturalization – File Form N-400
