What documents do you need?

Applicants must bring specific documents to the naturalization interview to verify their identity, immigration status, and eligibility for citizenship. The required documents are listed on the USCIS interview appointment notice (Form I-797C, Notice of Action) sent to each applicant after Form N-400 is filed and biometrics are completed.

The core documents required for every interview are: the original Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551, also called the green card), all valid and expired passports issued during the statutory residence period (five years for most applicants, three years for spouses of citizens), a state-issued photo identification document such as a driver's license or state ID card, the original interview appointment notice, and the original biometrics appointment notice.

Applicants must also bring documents related to specific portions of their application. For applicants applying as the spouse of a U.S. citizen under section 319(a), required additional documents include the marriage certificate, the U.S. citizen spouse's documents proving citizenship (birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, or U.S. passport), proof of the spouse's citizenship for the entire three-year period, evidence of the marital relationship (joint tax returns, joint bank accounts, joint leases or mortgages, photographs, and birth certificates of joint children), and any divorce or death certificates from prior marriages of either spouse.

For all applicants, USCIS requires copies of federal tax returns or IRS tax transcripts for the past five years (three years for citizen spouses), evidence of selective service registration for male applicants who lived in the U.S. between ages 18 and 26 (for those born after January 1, 1960), and any documents related to criminal history (arrest records, court dispositions, certified records of any offenses).

USCIS may request additional documents in advance through Form N-14 (Request for Additional Information) or at the interview itself. Bringing the original of every document is essential; photocopies are not accepted as primary evidence. Failure to bring required documents can result in a continuance of the interview, denial, or a request for additional evidence (RFE) that delays the case.