
If you’re unable to attend your appointment date, you must notify USCIS in advance. If you must retake the exam, you will have to return to your appointment location 60 to 90 days after the initial date of your exam. If you do not pass, you’ll have to retake a portion of or both portions of the exam to continue with your citizenship application. To avoid retaking the test, be sure you prepare in advance for both the English language skills and civics sections of the test. Usually, this test is on the same day as your interview. Be aware that, due to a high volume of wait times, rescheduling might delay your interview up to several months. The office will then send you a new letter with a revised date and time. If you cannot attend the interview on the date USCIS provided, you may request to reschedule if you write to the field office where your interview will occur. USCIS uses the interview to confirm information about you and make sure you have good moral character.
N400 PROCESSING TIME UPDATE
To ensure you don’t have any issues with your interview, you should update your mailing address if you’ve recently moved to avoid missing USCIS’s interview letter, bring all necessary documents, and prepare in advance for your interview. This letter will also list any essential documents you must bring with you. USCIS will send you a letter with the date and location for your naturalization interview. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receives your application. The citizenship interview usually happens 14 months after U.S.

Step 3: Citizenship Interview & Test (+4 months) You should be sure to respond to USCIS with the appropriate materials as early as possible and by the deadline they provide. USCIS sends an RFE when they need additional information or materials from you. USCIS may also send you a “ Request for Evidence” (RFE) at this point in the process. If the FBI rejects your second set of fingerprints, you will have to get a police clearance certificate from the local police department in each area where you’ve lived for the past five years and send these certificates to the FBI. This can happen if there is an issue with your fingerprints at the FBI. Sometimes, USCIS will need you to come in for a second biometrics appointment. If this happens, you may be adding extra time to USCIS’s 14+ month processing time for your application. Forgetting a document can result in a delayed or scheduled appointment. Be sure to bring all necessary documents with you to your biometrics appointment. You must bring your appointment letter, your lawful permanent resident card (green card), and a second form of photo ID (such as a driver’s license, passport, or state ID). USCIS uses biometrics appointments to verify your identity and conduct a background check on you with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This letter will state when and where your biometrics appointment will take place. USCIS will send you an appointment letter, Form I-797C (the “Notice of Action”). Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) schedules the biometrics appointment for you about one month after they receive your citizenship application. An official will take your fingerprints, photos, and signature at the biometrics appointment. The next step is to attend your biometrics appointment.

USCIS may need to contact you during this time, and you might miss some official mailings if you do not update your address with them.

Missing or incorrect documents can delay your application process.Īs you wait for USCIS to process your application, be sure to notify them if you ever move or change your mailing address. You must submit all application materials in English or provide a certified English translation of a non-English document. If you’re able to gather your supporting documents sooner, then USCIS will be able to review your completed application sooner, and you might have a faster case processing time.īefore submitting your application, you should be sure to double-check all answers. To begin the process, you’ll need to send your citizenship application and all supporting documents to USCIS. Note that exact USCIS processing times may vary based on your location. USCIS receives a large number of applications for citizenship and has a lot of backlogs, which is why it will take over 14 months for USCIS to process your application. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a government agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will take over 14 months to process your Form N-400 application. The first step in the naturalization process is completing and filing Form N-400 (the “Application for Naturalization”).
