If you are a green card holder and if you are applying for U.S. citizenship, you will need to remember that filing an application is just the first step in the citizenship process. You will not be granted citizenship as soon as your application is approved and there are different steps in the process. Here is the U.S. citizenship timeline. Timeline to Apply for U.S. Citizenship Application Filing and Processing To get started with the U.S. citizenship process, you will need to file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This will be your first step. After you file your application, you will receive an application receipt notice from the USCIS. Receipt notices are usually issued in two weeks from the date on which the USCIS receives an application. Biometrics Appointment Naturalization applicants will need to submit biometrics information. USCIS will send an appointment to appear at an Application Support Center for biometrics to be captured. This information will help USCIS to perform a background check. Biometrics appointments are usually scheduled by the USCIS within one month from the date of receiving the application. Naturalization Interview Naturalization interviews are conducted by the USCIS to test the applicant’s knowledge of the U.S. history and their English. During this interview, USCIS officers will ask you about your background and about your application. Most of the questions will be about your application. You will then take your civics and English tests. If you qualify for an exemption to the test or for a waiver, you may not be required to take the test. Read more about exemptions to the naturalization test. If the interviewing USCIS officer finds that you are eligible for citizenship, your application will be approved. You might be scheduled an interview in approximately four months from the date on which your application was received. Oath of Allegiance If your application for U.S. citizenship is approved, you will be scheduled for the naturalization oath ceremony where you will take the Oath of Allegiance. This is when you will be issued a naturalization certificate. The oath ceremony might be scheduled in around one month from the date of your interview. But it might take longer if the USCIS needs additional documentation to decide on your case or if you did not pass the naturalization test. Processing times are not the same for all service centers. While some service centers take between 6 and 12 months to process naturalization applications, some may take even longer. Click here to check the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization processing times. US Citizenship Timeline
If you are a green card holder and if you are applying for U.S. citizenship, you will need to remember that filing an application is just the first step in the citizenship process. You will not be granted citizenship as soon as your application is approved and there are different steps in the process. Here is the U.S. citizenship timeline. Timeline to Apply for U.S. Citizenship Application Filing and Processing To get started with the U.S. citizenship process, you will need to file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This will be your first step. After you file your application, you will receive an application receipt notice from the USCIS. Receipt notices are usually issued in two weeks from the date on which the USCIS receives an application. Biometrics Appointment Naturalization applicants will need to submit biometrics information. USCIS will send an appointment to appear at an Application Support Center for biometrics to be captured. This information will help USCIS to perform a background check. Biometrics appointments are usually scheduled by the USCIS within one month from the date of receiving the application. Naturalization Interview Naturalization interviews are conducted by the USCIS to test the applicant’s knowledge of the U.S. history and their English. During this interview, USCIS officers will ask you about your background and about your application. Most of the questions will be about your application. You will then take your civics and English tests. If you qualify for an exemption to the test or for a waiver, you may not be required to take the test. Read more about exemptions to the naturalization test. If the interviewing USCIS officer finds that you are eligible for citizenship, your application will be approved. You might be scheduled an interview in approximately four months from the date on which your application was received. Oath of Allegiance If your application for U.S. citizenship is approved, you will be scheduled for the naturalization oath ceremony where you will take the Oath of Allegiance. This is when you will be issued a naturalization certificate. The oath ceremony might be scheduled in around one month from the date of your interview. But it might take longer if the USCIS needs additional documentation to decide on your case or if you did not pass the naturalization test. Processing times are not the same for all service centers. While some service centers take between 6 and 12 months to process naturalization applications, some may take even longer. Click here to check the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization processing times. 