Do you have to attend the ceremony?

Yes, attendance at the Oath of Allegiance ceremony is required to complete naturalization; lawful permanent residents do not become U.S. citizens until they take the oath, regardless of how recently their application was approved. Under 8 CFR section 337.10, an applicant who is unable to attend the scheduled ceremony must notify USCIS in writing in advance, return Form N-445 (Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony) with the back of the form completed to indicate the reason for non-attendance, and request rescheduling.

Acceptable reasons for missing a ceremony include illness, family emergency, work obligations the applicant could not move, military service, hospitalization, scheduled court appearances, or comparable circumstances. USCIS will reschedule the ceremony for the next available date, usually within several weeks. An applicant who fails to appear at two consecutive scheduled ceremonies without notifying USCIS can have their application administratively denied under 8 CFR section 335.7 for failure to prosecute. After such a denial, the applicant must file a new Form N-400 application and pay a new filing fee to start the process over.

Applicants who are prevented from attending due to a medical condition or disability that is expected to be long-lasting may request a private oath administered at the applicant's home, hospital, or nursing home; these accommodations are rare and require documentation from a licensed medical professional. Members of the U.S. armed forces who naturalize through military service can take the oath overseas at U.S. embassies, consulates, military installations, or at sea on U.S. naval vessels under section 1701 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.

Applicants whose ceremonies are scheduled at a federal courthouse may need to plan for additional security screening (federal courthouse security is generally more extensive than USCIS field office security). Applicants are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time, dress respectfully (business or business casual is the norm; some applicants wear cultural or religious dress), and bring family members and friends to witness the ceremony, since most ceremonies welcome visitors in addition to the candidates.