Follow your N-400 from receipt to oath ceremony, and get a message the moment your interview is scheduled.
Use the receipt number from your N-400 receipt notice. Online filings start with IOE. Free, no sign-up.
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USCIS updates cases at random hours and the letter takes a week to arrive. We check your case every few hours and message you the moment it moves.
USCIS accepted your filing and sent a receipt notice (Form I-797C).
Next: Keep the receipt number. Biometrics, if needed, usually come next within a few weeks.
USCIS needs your fingerprints and photo. An appointment notice is on its way or already arrived.
Next: Go to the Application Support Center on the date shown. Bring the notice and a photo ID.
An officer is working on your case. It's a normal step, not a sign of a problem.
Next: This status can last weeks or months. The next update is often an approval, an interview or a Request for Evidence.
Your interview is booked. The notice in the mail has the date, time and office.
Next: Prepare your original documents and arrive early. Approvals often follow within weeks of the interview.
USCIS needs more documents before it can decide. The letter lists exactly what is missing.
Next: Respond by the deadline on the notice, usually 87 days. Many people have an immigration attorney review the response.
USCIS approved your case. The approval notice is in the mail.
Next: If a card comes with this benefit, expect a 'Card Is Being Produced' and 'Card Was Mailed' update next.
USCIS denied the application or petition. The notice explains why.
Next: Depending on the case you may be able to appeal, file a motion or refile. Talk to an immigration attorney quickly; deadlines are short.
After USCIS receives your N-400, most applicants get a biometrics appointment, though USCIS sometimes reuses fingerprints from an earlier case. Then the case waits for an interview at your local field office.
At the interview, an officer goes over your application and gives you the English and civics tests. You usually leave with a Form N-652 that says whether your case was granted, continued (for example, because more documents are needed) or denied.
You become a U.S. citizen when you take the Oath of Allegiance, not when the case is approved. Some offices hold the oath the same day as the interview; others mail an oath ceremony notice for a later date.
At the ceremony you return your green card and receive your Certificate of Naturalization. Keep it safe: you'll need it, or a U.S. passport, to prove citizenship.
Keep your green card valid and your address up to date with USCIS, because interview and oath notices come by mail. Long trips abroad can raise questions about continuous residence, so check with an immigration attorney before extended travel.
If the case is denied, you generally have 30 days to request a hearing with Form N-336. An immigration attorney can help you decide whether to do that or reapply.
Enter your N-400 receipt number above. It's on the receipt notice and usually starts with IOE for online filings. You'll see the current status, what it means and the history, and you can turn on alerts.
It varies a lot by field office. Instead of a national average, CaseTracker Personal estimates your decision date from real N-400 cases decided in the last year.
No. You become a citizen when you take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony. Until then, keep using your green card.
You usually get a Form N-652 with the result: granted, continued or denied. If granted, you're scheduled for the oath ceremony, sometimes on the same day.
Most people can apply after 5 years as a permanent resident, or 3 years if married to and living with a U.S. citizen, and USCIS accepts the N-400 up to 90 days before that date. Other requirements apply, so check USCIS guidance or an attorney.