U.S. Citizenship QuestionsHow long naturalization takes
Most people get from filing to the oath in several months, but the range is wide and depends mostly on which field office handles your case. Here is what happens at each step and how long each one usually runs.
The short answer
USCIS publishes the current median processing time for Form N-400 by field office at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times. Look up your office there rather than trusting a number on any website, including this one. In recent years most offices have been in the range of about five to ten months from filing to decision, with some faster and a few much slower.
Step by step
- Filing (day 0). You submit Form N-400 online or by mail with the fee. Filing online gets you into the system faster and lets you upload evidence and see updates.
- Receipt notice (about 1 to 3 weeks). Form I-797C confirms USCIS has your case and gives you a receipt number. That number is how you track everything from here.
- Biometrics (2 to 8 weeks, or skipped). USCIS now reuses fingerprints from earlier applications for many people; if yours are reused, you will get a notice saying so and skip this step. Otherwise you get an appointment at an Application Support Center for fingerprints and a photo. It takes 15 minutes.
- Waiting for the interview (the bulk of the time). This is where the months go. Nothing is happening that you can influence; your case is in a queue at your field office. Your online account will say "Interview was scheduled" when a date is set, usually 3 to 6 weeks before the interview itself.
- The interview. Under an hour. See what happens at the interview. Most people learn the result the same day on Form N-652: granted, continued, or denied.
- Oath ceremony (same day to about 2 months). Some offices swear you in the same afternoon. Most schedule a separate ceremony within a few weeks. You are a citizen when you finish the oath, not before.
What makes it take longer
- A continued interview. A retest or a request for documents adds one to three months. See what "continued" means.
- Missing or inconsistent information on the N-400: gaps in address or employment history, trips abroad you did not list, arrests you did not disclose. Officers find these, and every one adds a delay.
- Moving. Your case is tied to the field office for your address. If you move to a different office's area, the file has to be transferred. File Form AR-11 within 10 days of any move, then expect a delay.
- Name checks and background checks that take longer than usual. Nothing to do but wait.
- Applying too early. You may file up to 90 days before you reach the required 5 years (or 3 years under the spouse rule). File earlier than that and the application is denied outright.
How to check on your case
- Online: Case Status Online with your receipt number, or your USCIS online account if you filed online. Sign up for email or text alerts.
- If you are past the posted processing time: the processing-times page gives a date after which you can submit an "outside normal processing time" inquiry. Before that date, USCIS will not act on inquiries.
- If you get no answer: contact your U.S. representative's office. Congressional offices have a channel to USCIS and routinely help constituents with stuck cases. This is free and more effective than most people expect.
Use the waiting time
The months between filing and the interview are when the civics test gets learned. Ten minutes a day for a few weeks is more than enough for anyone; the people who fail are almost always the ones who started the night before.