N-400 Instructions: How to Complete Form N-400

Being eligible for U.S. citizenship through naturalization is a big deal. But before you can call it a victory, you have to overcome one obstacle – you have to apply for naturalization and deal with all the paperwork. 

When you apply for naturalization, you will encounter Form N-400. To help you complete your Form N-400, we provide Form N-400 instructions and tips below.   

What is Form N-400?

The Form N-400, Application for Naturalization is the application form used to apply for U.S. citizenship through naturalization. 

Who Needs Form N-400? 

Lawful permanent residents who are eligible and want to apply for naturalization will need the Form N-400. 

Form N-400 Instructions

Filling out all the paperwork required for naturalization can be a daunting task. Here is a basic layout of what you can expect and basic Form N-400 instructions to get you going. 

Part 1: Information About Your Eligibility

In Part 1, you need to select the basis on which you are applying for naturalization. In other words, you need to say on what grounds you are eligible for naturalization. 

You must select the correct and only one category. At your naturalization interview, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudicator will ask you questions about your eligibility grounds to make sure you qualify on the basis you selected. 

Part 2: Information About You

In Part 2, you will provide very detailed information about yourself. You will have to provide: 

• Your current legal name. This is the name on your birth certificate or the name you legally adopted through a legal name change or marriage.
• Your name exactly as it appears on your alien registration card or “green card,” even if it is misspelled or it has changed.
• Other names you have used, for example, your maiden name, nicknames, or aliases. Include any variations in spelling or misspellings you have used.
• The name you would like to use in the future if it is different from your current legal name. You have a chance to change your name legally when you go through the naturalization process if the federal district court will conduct your oath ceremony. 
• Your social security number.
• Your USCIS online account number. 
• Your gender. Only female and male gender identifiers are provided, so you must indicate either female or male gender. You can select the gender that matches your gender identity even if it is different from your sex assigned at birth if you have one of the documents listed here.
• Your date of birth in the format mm/dd/yyyy.
• The date you became a permanent resident. This date is sometimes not very clear. In some cases, it will be listed on your I-551 card (green card) in what looks like code. For example, you might see something like “P26 LAS 890714 245 9099001001” on the back. The date you were admitted as a lawful permanent resident is found after the letters indicating the port of entry where you were admitted, written as YYMMDD. In this example, it would be July 14, 1989. 

Part 3: Accommodations for Individuals With Disabilities and/or Impairments

In Part 3, you can request an accommodation to the naturalization process if you have a disability. Federal law requires the USCIS to make reasonable accommodations to your naturalization process if you have specific disabilities such as hearing loss or speech impairment, for example.

If you are requesting accommodations, you must select all applicable disabilities that you are asking accommodations for. You can choose as many as are relevant, but you must provide an explanation. It will also be a good idea to provide a doctor’s letter that verifies your disability and why you need accommodation. 

Part 4: Information to Contact You

Here you will need to provide your contact details, including your mobile number, work number, and e-mail address. Make sure to provide your current contact details and to update the USCIS if these changes. If you don’t have a specific method of contact, you can write “none.” If you are hearing impaired and use a TTD telephone connection, please write “TTD” after your telephone number. 

Part 5: Information About Your Residence

In Part 5, you have to provide a detailed history of your residency in the United States. The USCIS needs this information to determine whether you have actually lived in the U.S. for long enough to meet the continuous residence requirement. You will have to provide physical addresses where you have lived, starting with the most current. 

If there are any gaps in the dates you list here, the USCIS officer will ask you about these at your interview. 

You will also have to provide a mailing address.

Part 6: Information About Your Parents

This part asks information about your parents’ citizenship status. If neither of your parents is a U.S. citizen, you don’t have to complete this part. If one of your parents (or perhaps both) are U.S. citizens, however, there is a chance you are also already one. This section has a few questions that will help you determine whether you may already be a U.S. citizen.

Part 7: Biographic Information

The information collected here helps the FBI do its criminal background check. This is an important part of determining whether you are a person of “good moral character“.

Here you will need to provide details about your race, ethnicity, height, weight, eye, and hair color. 

Part 8: Information About Your Employment and Schools You Attended

Here you have to provide information about where you’ve been employed or have gone to school in the last 5 years. You must list all schools and employers, starting with the most current. 

If you are a homemaker, you can list “homemaker.” Or, if you work for yourself, you can list “self-employed.” If you are unemployed, simply state “unemployed.” If you aren’t currently working, the USCIS may ask details about how you are supporting yourself. 

Part 9: Time Outside the United States 

This part asks about your trips outside of the United States in the last 5 years. Only trips over 24 hours count. You need to provide this information to show the USCIS you satisfy the continuous presence requirement for naturalization. The USCIS also wants to make sure you didn’t abandon your lawful permanent resident status at any time. 

Remember, trips to Canada or Mexico counts as trips outside of the U.S. 

Suppose you’ve spent more than 6 months outside of the United States or moved to another country after getting your green card. In that case, it could pose a problem for your naturalization application. It might be a good idea to consult with an immigration attorney to see how it will affect your application. 

Part 10: Information About Your Marital History

If you are single and don’t have a marital history, you only have to complete Item 1 of Part 10. 

If not, then you need to answer all the questions in Part 10. 

The information in this part is important for the USCIS to see whether a marriage that possibly formed the basis of lawful permanent residency was valid. If not, then you may not qualify for the “three-year residence rule”.

You must still complete this section if you are married to a U.S. citizen, even if the basis of your application isn’t a marriage-based green card.

Also, keep in mind there is an option to select separated, but this is only applicable if it is a legal separation.

Part 11: Information about Your Children

If you receive citizenship through naturalization, there is a chance your children may automatically become U.S. citizens as well. This is called “derivation of citizenship“.

So, in Part 11, you have to provide as much information as possible about your children so the USCIS can determine whether your children qualify. 

Even if your children do not qualify to derive citizenship automatically, you must still list all your children here. This includes undocumented children, legally adopted, illegitimate, deceased, missing, and current stepchildren, whether married or unmarried. You may want to submit a visa petition for your children as “immediate relatives” after you naturalize. Providing this information now could make it easier to get a visa for them in the future. 

Part 12: Additional Information About You

Part 12 is the longest section in the Form N-400. It aims to get information that the USCIS will use to confirm you are eligible for naturalization. These questions generally aim to see whether you meet any of the grounds on which the USCIS can deny naturalization. 

Remember, you must answer these questions truthfully. If it comes out that you supplied false information, your naturalization can be revoked, and you can be placed in removal proceedings. 

The questions in Part 12 generally focus on: 

• Good moral character issues
• Political affiliations that may cause you to be ineligible for naturalization
• Military issues
• Selective service registration issues
• Any previous deportation, removal, or exclusion issues
• The oath of allegiance requirements
• Questions around national security, and
• Questions on your involvement in genocide, torture, and the enlistment of child soldiers. 

The USCIS can reject your naturalization application if they believe you are not a person of good moral character.

Part 13: Applicant’s Statement, Certification, and Signature

When you sign the Form N-400, you confirm the information you provided is correct to the best of your knowledge. If you provide false information, your naturalization could be revoked in the future. 

If you (or someone you are assisting) can’t write in any language, the form can be signed with an “X.” If applicable, a legal guardian or parent may also sign the form. 

Part 14: Interpreter’s Contact Information, Certification, and Signature

It’s quite common for naturalization applicants to use an interpreter if they aren’t comfortable to complete a legal form in English. If you choose to use an interpreter, you and your interpreter must fill out this section.

By signing here, your interpreter is certifying they:

• Are fluent in English, and the language used to interpret to you
• Have read every question and instruction on the form, and your answers to each question to you
• You understood each and every instruction, question, and answer to each question.

Part 15: Contact Information, Declaration, and Signatures of Person Preparing the Application

If someone helped you complete the Form N-400 (for example, your interpreter), they have to complete this section with their personal information. Some people also interpret the rules to say anyone who gave you legal advice on the Form N-400 should also complete and sign this section. 

Part 16-18: Signature at Interview, Renunciation of Foreign Titles, and Oath of Allegiance

You should not complete this part of your application before you submit it. You will complete this part at your naturalization interview once the USCIS officer instructs you to do so. 

Part 16 is where you place your signature. Part 17 is where you renounce any foreign titles, and Part 18 is where you sign for the Oath of Allegiance.

Conclusion

We hope these Form N-400 instructions prove useful when you complete your own naturalization application. Even though Form N-400 can seem daunting, you don’t have to worry. Just make sure you answer each question completely and truthfully. If you encounter any problems, consult an expert like an immigration attorney who can guide you through the finer details of your specific case.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

See author's posts