What is your religious preference?

When the USCIS officer asks about the applicant's religious preference, the applicant should respond honestly with the religion practiced or "none" if the applicant has no religious affiliation, or "agnostic" or "atheist" if the applicant prefers those terms. The N-400 application does not have a specific religion question; it is not required for naturalization. The U.S. Constitution prohibits religious tests for public office, and religion is not a basis for granting or denying citizenship.

The officer typically asks this question only in the context of a request for a modified Oath of Allegiance based on religious objection to bearing arms or to all military service. Applicants requesting modified oath under section 337(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act must demonstrate sincere religious belief, conscience, or moral conviction that supports the modification. Common religious traditions with formal teaching against military service include the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the Mennonite Church, the Church of the Brethren, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Members of these traditions often request modified oaths and are routinely accommodated.

Other applicants from various religious traditions or from secular conscientious convictions may also request modifications based on individual belief; the standard is sincerity rather than membership in a specific religious organization. Applicants who do not request a modified oath generally need not discuss their religion; "Yes" to the standard oath questions is sufficient.

The First Amendment Establishment Clause prohibits the government from preferring one religion over another or from requiring religious affiliation. The First Amendment Free Exercise Clause protects the practice of religion. Applicants from countries with religious persecution who came to the United States to practice religion freely should know that the United States actively protects religious diversity.

Religious freedom is one of the foundational American values, dating to the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1620, the Maryland Toleration Act of 1649, the Rhode Island royal charter of 1663, William Penn's Pennsylvania of 1681, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom of 1786, and the First Amendment of 1791. Applicants are equally welcome regardless of religion: Christians (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and various denominations), Jews (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, secular), Muslims (Sunni, Shia, various traditions), Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahais, Jains, indigenous spiritual practitioners, and adherents of every faith and of no faith.

The applicant should answer this question naturally if it comes up, but it is not a routine part of every interview. Applicants who feel uncomfortable disclosing religion can briefly indicate "I prefer not to say" or simply give a general answer.