Citizenship Guides
Plain-English guides to the U.S. naturalization process, based on official USCIS instructions.
N-400 Document Checklist
Check your situation and get a personal list of documents to send and to bring.
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When Can I Apply for Citizenship?
Calculate the earliest date you can file Form N-400 with the 90-day early filing rule.
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What to Bring to Your Citizenship Interview
A checklist of documents to bring to your U.S. naturalization interview, based on USCIS instructions: your notice, green card, ID, passports, tax transcripts and more.
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What Happens After Your Citizenship Interview
After the naturalization interview: what granted, continued and denied mean, Form N-652, the oath ceremony (Form N-445), your Certificate of Naturalization and what to do next.
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Form N-652: Your Naturalization Interview Results Explained
What each checkbox on Form N-652, Naturalization Interview Results, means: recommended for approval, decision cannot yet be made, N-14, retest, final test failed, and what to do next.
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How to Fill Out Form N-400, Part by Part
What each of the 16 parts of Form N-400 (edition 01/20/25) asks for, what the official instructions say about it, and the mistakes that get applications rejected.
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N-400 Filing Fee: What Citizenship Costs and How to Pay Less
The current USCIS fee for Form N-400 ($760 paper, $710 online), the $380 reduced fee, the Form I-912 fee waiver, the military exemption, how to pay, and related fees.
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Citizenship Test Exemptions and Accommodations
Who can skip the English test (50/20, 55/15), the easier 65/20 civics test, the Form N-648 medical disability exception, and how to ask USCIS for disability accommodations.
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What Happens If You Fail the Citizenship Test
Failed part of the naturalization test? You get one retest 60 to 90 days later on only the part you failed. What happens next, what a second failure means, and your options.
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The Oath of Allegiance, Line by Line
The full text of the U.S. naturalization Oath of Allegiance, what each line means in plain English, the modified oath and affirmation options, the oath waiver, and the related N-400 questions.
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Continuous Residence vs. Physical Presence
The two time requirements for U.S. citizenship explained: 913 or 548 days of physical presence, how trips over 6 months and over 1 year affect continuous residence, Form N-470, and worked examples.
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The Three Branches of Government, Explained
Legislative, executive and judicial: what each branch of the U.S. government does, how checks and balances work, and which civics test questions each part answers.
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The Constitutional Amendments You Need for the Civics Test
Which amendments to the U.S. Constitution appear on the citizenship civics test, what each one does, when it was added, and the questions it answers.
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Renewing or Replacing Your Green Card (Form I-90)
When to file Form I-90 to renew or replace a green card, the 6-month renewal window, current fees, what the receipt notice proves, and when to file Form I-751 or Form N-400 instead.
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The 13 Colonies and the American Revolution, Explained
The story behind civics test questions #73–#89: why colonists came, why they broke with Britain, the key battles, the Declaration, the Constitution and the Founders, in time order.
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Citizenship for Children of New Citizens (INA 320 and Form N-600)
When a child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen through a naturalized parent, the four conditions in INA 320, custody and adoption rules, and how to document it with Form N-600 or a U.S. passport.
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