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PILLAR · N-400 TIMELINE

N-400 timeline — from filing to oath

USCIS does not publish a guaranteed end-to-end naturalization timeline. Processing time depends on your local field office. The stages below are the ones every applicant goes through; the day-counts are estimates based on USCIS guidance and recent processing-time data.

Last verified:·Source:USCIS Form N-400 page
Check current USCIS processing times →
You will be given two attempts to take the English and civics tests and to answer all questions relating to your naturalization application in English. If you fail any of the tests at your initial interview, you will be retested on the portion of the test that you failed (English or civics) between 60 and 90 days from the date of your initial interview. See 8 CFR 312.5(a) and 335.3(b).
Quoted exactly, without paraphrase, from USCIS naturalization interview and test page (rev. 10/31/2025).
  1. 01Eligible
  2. 02Filed
  3. 03Biometrics
  4. 04Interview
  5. 05Re-test
  6. 06Oath
  1. Step 1 icon

    Filing eligibility window

    —

    You may file Form N-400 90 calendar days before you complete your continuous-residence requirement (5 years as a lawful permanent resident, or 3 years if you are married to a U.S. citizen and meet the 3-year-LPR rule).
  2. Step 2 icon

    Filing and receipt notice

    1–4 weeks

    You file Form N-400 online or by mail. USCIS issues a Form I-797C Notice of Action acknowledging receipt. The receipt date on the I-797C is the canonical filing date — use it if you don't remember when you submitted.
  3. Step 3 icon

    Biometrics appointment

    4–8 weeks after filing

    USCIS schedules a biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center for fingerprints, photo, and signature. If your prior biometrics are reusable, USCIS may waive this step.
  4. Step 4 icon

    Naturalization interview + civics test

    varies — see processing times

    USCIS schedules an in-person interview at your local field office. The officer evaluates the eligibility you stated on your N-400, administers the English test (speaking + reading + writing), and administers the civics test (10 questions from the 100-question 2008 bank if you filed before October 20, 2025; 20 questions from the 128-question 2025 bank if you filed on or after).
  5. Step 5 icon

    Re-test (if you don't pass on first try)

    60–90 days after first interview

    Per 8 CFR §335.3(b), the second test cannot be scheduled less than 60 days after the first; per 8 CFR §312.5(a), the reexamination must occur within 90 days of the first. Together these set a 60-90 day window — the same window USCIS publishes on its interview-and-test page (quoted verbatim below).
  6. Step 6 icon

    Oath ceremony

    weeks after interview pass

    After your interview is approved, USCIS schedules your oath ceremony. You take the Oath of Allegiance, and you are issued a Certificate of Naturalization. See the oath ceremony pillar for the judicial vs. administrative distinction.

Field-office variation matters

USCIS publishes per-field-office processing-time medians at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times. Some offices process N-400s in 6 months; others run 14+ months. Check the page that lists your field office before estimating your interview date.

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