Naturalization Application Checklist

Summary. Everything to do, in the order to do it.

Part 1 — The five-question screen

Time. Resident-since date on the green card + 5 years (or 3 under 8 U.S.C. § 1430 if married to and living with the same U.S. citizen for 3 years, citizen for all 3)
Earliest filing date = eligibility date minus 90 days. Written down.
Trips. Any single absence of 6 months or more? Any of 1 year or more?
Arrests. Any arrest, citation, detention, or charge — anywhere, ever, including dismissed, diverted, expunged, and juvenile?
Taxes. All returns filed? Anything owed?
Immigration history. Any removal proceeding, removal order, voluntary departure, denial, or withdrawal?

If trips, arrests, taxes, or immigration history flagged → Part 2 before anything else. If all clear → skip to Part 3.

Part 2 — Get a file review first (if anything flagged)

Consultation booked with a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative — not a notario, not a document preparer
Bar number or accreditation verified
Immigration file request submitted (start this first — it takes months)
FBI identity history summary requested
Certified dispositions ordered for every arrest, from every court
Tax return transcripts ordered for the statutory period
All passports located, including expired ones
Written analysis obtained on: removability, good moral character, and whether to file
Decision recorded: file now / fix first / wait / do not file

Part 3 — Reconstruct every trip

Table built: one row per departure — date out, date in, country, days, reason
Built from passport stamps, page by page, all passports
Gaps filled from a CBP travel records request
Cross-checked against airline records, card statements, photo metadata
Total days abroad computed
Physical presence confirmed ≥ half the statutory period
Longest single trip identified

If any trip ≥ 6 months, assemble the rebuttal packet:

Employer letter: employment maintained, position on return
Lease or deed for a home kept
U.S. resident tax returns for those years
Bank statements showing continued U.S. activity
Evidence family remained in the U.S.
Evidence of the reason (medical records, assignment letter)
Confirmation no foreign employment was taken

If any trip ≥ 1 year:

Restart date calculated by counsel — do not file until confirmed
Understood: a reentry permit protects the green card, not the naturalization clock

Part 4 — Character documents (order these early; they take the longest)

Taxes

All unfiled returns filed
Installment agreement or other collection alternative in place if a balance is owed
Payments started and documented
Transcripts for each year of the statutory period obtained
Checked: no return filed as a non-resident during the period (if so, addressed in writing)

Arrests

Certified disposition from the clerk for each case — not a docket printout
Proof of completed conditions: probation discharge, restitution, classes
FBI identity history summary in hand and reconciled against the court records
Short written explanation where the record is confusing

Selective Service

Status information letter requested (allow months)
Sworn statement drafted: age then, status then, where living, what was known about the requirement

Support obligations

Support order located
Payment history from the enforcement agency obtained
Current payments documented; plan in place for any arrears

Positive equities (optional but useful)

Employment letters
Community, religious, and volunteer records
Education records
Specific character letters from people who actually know you

Part 5 — Fees and exemptions

Full fee amount confirmed from the current schedule
Reduced fee eligibility checked against current income thresholds
Fee waiver eligibility checked on all three bases: means-tested benefit · income threshold · hardship
Supporting documentation assembled for whichever applies
Military applicants: no fee

English and civics:

Age exemption checked: 50/20 · 55/15 · 65/20
Disability exception considered

If seeking the disability exception, the certification must:

Be completed by a licensed MD, DO, or clinical psychologist
State the specific diagnosis
State duration ≥ 12 months (actual or expected)
Connect the impairment to the specific inability to learn or demonstrate English and/or civics
Not rely on a diagnosis alone

Accommodations (separate from exemptions):

Extended time, interpreter, accessible room, or off-site interview requested in advance
Oath waiver considered if a disability prevents taking the oath (8 U.S.C. § 1448)

Part 6 — Complete and file

Every arrest disclosed
Every trip listed, matching the Part 3 table exactly
Every address for the required period, no gaps
Every employer listed
Yes/no conduct questions answered carefully — several ask about conduct, not convictions
Foreign-language documents translated completely with a certification of accuracy
Name and date-of-birth discrepancies across documents resolved
Application signed
Complete copy kept, in filing order
Filed within the 90-day early window, not before
Filing proof retained

Part 7 — Between filing and the interview

Biometrics appointment attended (missing it can be treated as abandonment)
Address changes reported within the deadline
No long trips — residence and presence must continue through the oath
Record kept clean; any new arrest documented and counsel consulted
Published processing time for your office noted and calendared

If processing time is exceeded:

Case inquiry submitted
Congressional constituent services office contacted — free and effective
Ombudsman request considered
Every inquiry and response logged with dates

Part 8 — The interview folder

Always:

Interview notice
Green card
State ID or driver's license
All passports, including expired ones
Complete copy of the application as filed
One-page update sheet: new addresses, trips, arrests, jobs, marriages since filing

If applicable:

Certified dispositions, tabbed
Tax transcripts + installment agreement + payment proof
Selective Service letter + statement
Marriage evidence (3-year cases): certificate, spouse's citizenship proof covering all 3 years, joint returns, lease/deed, accounts, insurance, children's records, photos
Absence rebuttal packet
Child support order + payment history
Name change order
Medical certification for a disability exception
Military service records and honorable service certification

Preparation:

Civics questions studied; current officeholder answers verified
Reading and writing vocabulary practiced by hand
Spoken answers rehearsed about your own application, in English
Oath questions understood, including the modified oath for religious objection
Building entry rules and travel time checked

Part 9 — At the interview

Truth, always — false testimony is a statutory bar
Answer the question asked; no volunteering
Ask for a question to be repeated if unclear
"I don't remember" is an acceptable answer; a guess stated as fact is not
Corrections to the application offered voluntarily
Documents produced when asked
Result noted: approved / continued / denied

Part 10 — Requests for evidence and re-examination

RFE:

Deadline calendared the day it arrives
Each numbered item answered, matching the request's numbering
Response complete, not partial
Copies sent, originals kept
Cover letter listing every enclosure
Sent with delivery confirmation; proof retained
Unobtainable documents explained in writing with secondary evidence

Re-examination after failing English or civics:

Notice calendared — appearance is mandatory
Only the failed portion studied
Disability certification pursued if a disability is the actual reason

Part 11 — Denial

Hearing deadline calendared the day the denial arrives — 8 U.S.C. § 1447, short and strictly applied
Exact stated ground identified
Ground classified: factual (answer with evidence) or legal (answer with argument)
Response package assembled: cover letter + evidence + legal memorandum where relevant
Hearing attended
If unresolved: federal district court de novo review evaluated with counsel
If the case stalled after the examination instead: district court action under the delay provision considered

Part 12 — After the oath

U.S. passport applied for — do this even with no travel planned
Voter registration completed
Social Security Administration updated
Certificate stored safely — not laminated
Family petitions considered (broader categories, priority date starts at filing)
Children under 18 who are permanent residents in your custody: derived citizenship confirmed and documented with a certificate or passport
Other country's dual-citizenship rules confirmed with its consulate