What Documents to Bring to Your USCIS Naturalization Interview

Every applicant must bring a specific set of documents to their USCIS naturalization interview. Forgetting a required document can delay your case or require a second interview. This checklist covers what every applicant needs, plus additional documents that apply to specific situations.

Documents Every Applicant Must Bring

These documents are required regardless of your personal circumstances. Organize them in this order before you leave for your appointment.

• USCIS interview appointment notice. This is the letter USCIS mailed to you scheduling your interview. Without it, the security officer at the front desk may not let you enter the building.
• Permanent Resident Card (Green Card). Bring your current Green Card. You will surrender it at your oath ceremony, not at the interview, but the officer needs to see it now.
• Government-issued photo ID. A state driver's license, state ID card, or any other government-issued photo identification works.
• All passports. Bring every passport you have had since you became a permanent resident, including expired ones. The officer uses them to verify your travel history against what you reported on Form N-400.

Tax Documents

USCIS reviews your tax history as part of the good moral character determination. You should bring evidence of your tax compliance for the past five years (or three years if you are filing based on marriage to a U.S. citizen).

The easiest document to bring is an IRS tax transcript, which you can request for free at irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript. Transcripts are a cleaner format than actual returns and are generally preferred by officers. If you have actual returns and W-2s, bring those too. If you were below the filing threshold in any year, be prepared to explain that briefly.

Conditional Documents by Situation

Depending on your background, you may need to bring additional documents. Review the list below and gather everything that applies to you.

• Filing based on marriage to a U.S. citizen. Bring your marriage certificate, your spouse's proof of U.S. citizenship (passport or birth certificate), and evidence that you have lived together (joint lease, joint bank statements, or utility bills).
• Divorced applicants. Bring divorce decrees for every prior marriage, for both you and your current spouse if applicable.
• Arrest or criminal record. Bring certified court dispositions for every arrest, charge, or conviction, even if the case was dismissed or expunged. USCIS needs the official court documents, not just your description of what happened.
• Prior military service. Bring Form DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or equivalent records.
• Disability exemption from English or civics test. Bring a completed Form N-648 (Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions) certified by a licensed medical professional.
• Legal name change after your Green Card was issued. Bring the court order or marriage certificate documenting the change.
• Children who may also be acquiring citizenship. Bring their Green Cards and birth certificates.

How to Organize Your Documents

Place your documents in a folder or binder in the order the officer is likely to request them, with your appointment notice on top, followed by your Green Card and ID, then passports, then tax documents, then any conditional documents tabbed behind labeled dividers.

If any documents are not in English, bring certified translations. The translator must certify that the translation is accurate and that they are competent in both languages. The certification must be written on the translation document itself.

If You Forget a Document

If you arrive at your interview without a required document, tell the officer right away. In most cases, the officer will note it in your file and either issue a Request for Evidence (RFE), ask you to submit the document by mail within a specific timeframe, or schedule a second interview. Forgetting a document rarely causes an outright denial on its own, but it does delay your case.