Naturalization Naturalization
Naturalisation is the end of the process: a lawful permanent resident becomes a U.S. citizen. It requires residence, physical presence, good moral character, English, civics and an oath. It is the only status in the system that cannot be taken away administratively, which is why the tightening of the good moral character standard and the reintroduction of neighbourhood investigations in 2025 and 2026 matter more here than anywhere else.
- Срок
- permanent, in the strongest sense in the system. Citizenship does not expire, cannot be terminated administratively, and can only be undone through denaturalisation proceedings in federal court.
- Продление
- Not applicable. Nothing to renew. A U.S. passport is renewed, but the citizenship behind it is not.
- Работа
- Yes, without restriction and without documentation. A citizen needs no work permit, is not subject to employment verification limits beyond identity and citizenship, and cannot be removed.
- Члены семьи
- None as such. A child under 18 who is a permanent resident and in the legal and physical custody of a parent acquires citizenship automatically when that parent naturalises, under the Child Citizenship Act, and needs only a Certificate of Citizenship on Form N-600 or a passport as proof. Other family members must be petitioned in the ordinary way - and a new citizen can then file I-130s as an immediate relative petitioner, which is the practical reason many people naturalise when they do.
- Путь к грин-карте
- Not applicable in the usual direction - this is the step after the green card. What naturalisation does open is the ability to petition for a spouse, children and parents as immediate relatives with no queue, and for married children and siblings in F3 and F4.
- Срок рассмотрения
- USCIS publishes current N-400 times by field office at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times and they vary widely between offices and change monthly. Specific figures are unverified. Expect the reintroduction of neighbourhood investigations in August 2026 to lengthen them.
- Годовая квота и очереди
- None. Naturalisation is not numerically limited, has no priority date and does not appear in the Visa Bulletin. Anyone who meets the requirements may naturalise.
Кто подходит
- A lawful permanent resident aged 18 or over who has held the green card for five years
- A permanent resident married to and living with the same U.S. citizen for three years, where the spouse has been a citizen for those three years
- A current or former member of the U.S. armed forces, under INA 328 or 329, with reduced requirements and no fee
- A permanent resident who obtained residence through VAWA, who may naturalise after three years
- A child who did not acquire citizenship automatically may naturalise through a citizen parent under INA 322, or may already be a citizen under the Child Citizenship Act and need only proof
Требования
- Continuous residence as a permanent resident for five years, or three where married to a U.S. citizen
- Physical presence in the United States for at least half that period, and residence in the state or district for at least three months
- Good moral character for the statutory period. USCIS restored a broader evaluation standard by policy memorandum on 15 August 2025 and revised the guidance on unlawful voting, unlawful voter registration and false claims to U.S. citizenship on 29 August 2025
- Ability to read, write and speak basic English, with exemptions by age and length of residence
- Knowledge of U.S. civics. Applicants who filed Form N-400 on or after 20 October 2025 take the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test: an oral test of 20 questions drawn from a list of 128, with 12 correct answers needed to pass. The officer stops when the applicant has answered 12 correctly or 9 incorrectly
- Attachment to the principles of the Constitution, and taking the Oath of Allegiance
- No disqualifying conduct - and note that a naturalisation examination now includes a personal investigation under INA 335(a) as well as the examination under INA 335(b)
Как подать
- 1
Check eligibility - five years as a permanent resident, or three if married to and living with the same U.S. citizen.
- 2
Create a USCIS online account at myaccount.uscis.gov and prepare Form N-400. Online filing saves $50.
- 3
Study for the 2025 civics test if you filed on or after 20 October 2025: 128 questions, 20 asked, 12 correct to pass. USCIS publishes the question list as M-1778 and a study guide.
- 4
Attend biometrics.
- 5
Attend the naturalisation examination. Expect the English and civics tests and a full review of the application. Since 25 August 2026 USCIS has reintroduced personal investigations, also known as neighbourhood investigations, under INA 335(a), alongside validation of your information and documentation under INA 335(b).
- 6
If denied, request a hearing on Form N-336 within 30 days.
- 7
If approved, attend the ceremony and take the Oath of Allegiance. You are a citizen from that moment; apply for a passport and, if you have children under 18 who are permanent residents in your custody, consider Form N-600 for them.
Сборы и формы
| Form N-400, paper filing | $760 |
| Form N-400, online filing | $710 |
| Form N-400 reduced fee for applicants at or below 400% of the federal poverty guidelines | $380, paper filing only |
| Form N-400 for military applicants naturalising under INA 328 or 329 | $0 |
| Form N-336, request for a hearing on a naturalisation decision | see the current fee schedule; the June 2026 proposal would end fee waivers for it |
| Form N-600, Certificate of Citizenship | see the current fee schedule |
| Form N-648, medical certification for a disability exception | $0 |
Что изменилось в 2025 и 2026 годах
- 15 August 2025 - USCIS issued a policy memorandum restoring a broader good moral character evaluation standard for naturalisation applicants, moving from a largely bar-based analysis to a holistic assessment.
- 29 August 2025 - policy update revising guidance on good moral character, unlawful voting, unlawful voter registration and false claims to U.S. citizenship in the naturalisation context, as part of implementing executive orders. It affects Policy Manual Volume 12 Part F chapters 1 and 5.
- 20 October 2025 - policy update revising the civics educational requirement and implementing the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test, which applies to Forms N-400 filed on or after that date: 20 oral questions drawn from a list of 128, 12 correct to pass, and the officer stops at 12 correct or 9 incorrect.
- 19 December 2025 - policy update rescinding expedited naturalisation processing for certain Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries.
- 23 June 2026 - DHS proposed Naturalization Application Fee Adjustments (Docket USCIS-2026-0265), which would adjust the Form N-400 and Form N-336 fees, end the reduced fee option for Form N-400, and end fee waivers for both forms. Current and former armed forces members would remain exempt when naturalising under the military statutes. Comments closed 24 August 2026 and the rule is not final. Until it is, the $380 reduced fee and fee waivers remain available.
- 12 August 2026 - policy update temporarily reverting to the June 2017 guidance on non-governmental organisation participation in naturalisation ceremonies, consistent with the court order in League of Women Voters v. USCIS, No. 25-cv-3777 (D. Md., 3 August 2025).
- 25 August 2026 - policy update on investigations and examinations for naturalisation eligibility. USCIS reintroduced personal investigations, also known as neighbourhood investigations, under INA 335(a), and reinforced validation of the applicant's information and documentation as part of the examination under INA 335(b). This affects Policy Manual Volume 12 Part B chapter 3.
- 31 August 2026 - USCIS rescinded policy alert PA-2025-21 on voter registration at administrative naturalisation ceremonies and reinstated the Policy Manual version effective 28 June 2017, permitting nonprofit and nonpartisan organisations to distribute and collect voter registration applications and register new citizens immediately after a ceremony where state and local election offices are not available.
- 5 August 2026 - policy update PA-2026-05 permits USCIS to deny for failure to establish eligibility on missing initial evidence without first issuing a request for evidence or a notice of intent to deny.
Где чаще всего ошибаются
- Applying with a green card obtained by fraud, or with an unresolved question about how it was obtained. Naturalisation reopens the entire immigration history, and a denial can end in removal proceedings rather than simply a refusal.
- Good moral character. Since August 2025 the standard is broader and holistic rather than a checklist of statutory bars, so conduct that would once have passed unremarked now gets weighed.
- Any history of registering to vote or voting. The August 2025 guidance treats unlawful registration, unlawful voting and false claims to U.S. citizenship as central good moral character questions, and a false claim to citizenship is separately a ground of inadmissibility with almost no waiver.
- Long absences. A trip of six months to a year raises a presumption that continuous residence was broken; a year or more breaks it outright, absent an approved Form N-470.
- Filing before the residence period is complete. The 90-day early filing rule applies to the five-year and three-year periods, and filing a day too early means denial.
- Assuming the old civics test. Anyone who filed Form N-400 on or after 20 October 2025 takes the 2025 test - 128 questions, 20 asked, 12 to pass.
- Not preparing for a home visit. Neighbourhood investigations under INA 335(a) were reintroduced on 25 August 2026.
- Waiting for the fee to fall. It is going the other way: the June 2026 proposal would end the $380 reduced fee and end fee waivers entirely.
Также в категории Mechanism
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