What happens after you pass your interview?

After passing the naturalization interview, the applicant receives Form N-652, Notice of Examination Results, indicating that the application has been recommended for approval, and the case proceeds to the next stage: scheduling of the Oath of Allegiance ceremony. Some USCIS field offices conduct same-day oath ceremonies, in which the applicant who passes the interview attends a ceremony later the same afternoon and becomes a citizen the same day. Most offices, however, schedule the oath ceremony for a later date, typically two to six weeks after the interview, although the wait can be longer in offices with high volumes (some offices schedule oaths six to twelve weeks out, particularly in busy summer months and around naturalization holidays such as Constitution Day on September 17 and Independence Day on July 4).

The scheduling notice, Form N-445 (Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony), is mailed to the applicant several weeks before the ceremony and specifies the date, time, and location. The location is typically the same USCIS field office where the interview took place, or a larger venue (federal courthouse, civic center, or other public building) for group ceremonies that include large numbers of new citizens. Some ceremonies are administered judicially by a federal district court judge under section 310 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, while others are administered administratively by USCIS officers under section 310(a).

On the date of the ceremony, the applicant brings the Form N-445 notice (the back of the form contains a questionnaire about events since the interview that must be completed before the ceremony), the original Permanent Resident Card (which USCIS collects and retires at the ceremony), and any other documents requested. The applicant is sworn in along with other new citizens, takes the Oath of Allegiance, and receives the Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550) at the conclusion of the ceremony. After the certificate is issued, the applicant is officially a U.S. citizen with all the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of citizenship.