What is your spouse's name?

When the USCIS officer asks for the spouse's name, the applicant should respond with the spouse's full legal name as it appears on the marriage certificate and on the Form N-400 application. The N-400 in Part 6 requires the spouse's full name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship, current address, current immigration status if not a U.S. citizen, A-Number if applicable, employment, and the date and place of marriage.

The officer asks this question to verify identity and consistency with documents on file, to confirm that the marriage continues to exist if the applicant is applying under the 3-year spousal rule, and to test basic English communication. The spouse's name should match across all documents: marriage certificate, joint tax returns, joint accounts, lease or mortgage.

If the spouse is a U.S. citizen, the applicant may be eligible for naturalization after only 3 years of permanent residence (rather than the standard 5 years) under section 319 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, provided the applicant has been in marital union with the citizen spouse for the entire 3 years and the spouse has been a citizen for at least 3 years. Applicants applying under the 3-year rule must demonstrate that the marriage is bona fide and continuing.

The interview may include questions to both spouses about the relationship to confirm the marriage is genuine. Documentation typically requested includes the marriage certificate, joint tax returns, joint bank accounts, joint lease or deed, photographs together over time, joint utility bills, joint health insurance, life insurance with the spouse as beneficiary, and similar evidence.

If the marriage has ended through divorce or death within the 3-year period, the applicant typically loses eligibility under the 3-year rule and must apply under the standard 5-year rule. Applicants who married a U.S. citizen but have lived separately for some periods should be prepared to explain the circumstances.

Applicants whose spouse is also an immigrant or a non-citizen should give the spouse's full name, country of citizenship, and current immigration status. Applicants who are widowed should give the deceased spouse's name and the date and place of death. Applicants who are divorced should give the former spouse's name and the date and place of divorce. Applicants who have been married multiple times should be prepared to give details for each marriage.

The spouse's name may need to be spoken slowly and spelled if it is unusual or non-English. Applicants who have gone by different last names (married name versus maiden name) should note all variations.