The final step: becoming a U.S. citizen

After years of waiting, naturalization is the goal. And although the process looks simple — a form, a test, an interview — there are situations where filing without reviewing first can put even your existing residence at risk.

What we do

• Eligibility assessment before filing: time as a resident, physical presence, continuous residence, and good moral character.
• Preparation and filing of Form N-400.
• Preparation for the civics, history and English test.
• Support at the interview.
• Waiver requests based on age or medical condition, where applicable.
• Cases with complications: extended absences from the country, criminal records, or issues with how residence was obtained.

When to consult before filing

Some signs that a case needs review first: long trips outside the country, any criminal record however minor it seems, unfiled taxes, or questions about how residence was obtained. In these cases, filing without analysis can open a review of your status.

That's not a reason not to apply. It's a reason to apply well prepared.

Who qualifies

The general rule is five years as a lawful permanent resident, or three years if you are married to a U.S. citizen and still married when you file. You can submit the application up to 90 days before you complete the residence requirement, and filing on the earliest eligible date avoids unnecessary waiting at the back end.

You also have to meet:

• Continuous residence. A trip of six months or more can break it; a trip of a year or more almost always does. If it broke, the clock resets and you generally wait four years and one day from your return.
• Physical presence in the United States for at least half of the required period.
• Good moral character during the period. USCIS reviews those years, but for serious matters it can look back further.
• English and civics. Exceptions exist based on age and length of residence — 50 years old with 20 years as a resident, or 55 with 15 — and a medical disability exception through Form N-648.

What it costs in 2026

• $710 filing online, $760 on paper. The $50 difference is a discount for filing electronically.
• $380 reduced fee if household income is below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
• $0 for military applicants, with a full fee waiver available for those who qualify.

The fee is not refunded if USCIS denies the application. You pay to have it processed, not approved. Confirm the current amount on uscis.gov before filing, because fees change.

How long it actually takes

There is no single national processing time. In 2026 the average runs around eight months, but the real range is six to fourteen depending on which field office handles your case. USCIS bases its estimates on 80 percent of completed cases, not the fastest ones.

The stages, in practice:

• Receipt notice (Form I-797C): one to three days if you filed online, two to four weeks on paper.
• Biometrics appointment: four to eight weeks after filing.
• Interview and test: four to ten months after filing, at the USCIS office at 2150 Parklake Drive NE.
• Oath ceremony: sometimes the same day as the interview, sometimes weeks later.

Three recent changes almost nobody mentions

If you researched this a year ago, part of what you read no longer applies:

• Fingerprints are no longer reused. As of December 12, 2025, USCIS stopped reusing biometrics from prior applications in naturalization cases. Every new filing requires fresh fingerprints and a new photo.
• Only the 01/20/2025 edition of Form N-400 is accepted. Earlier versions are rejected and you start over.
• The backlog grew. In October 2025 USCIS received roughly 169,000 applications in a single month, about four times the normal volume. Pending cases went from around 537,000 in September 2025 to about 647,000 by February 2026, and have not come down. Security checks are also taking longer for complex histories.

The practical takeaway is that a clean, well-documented application matters more today than it did three years ago, because the margin for fixing mistakes is narrower.

Mistakes we see often

• Long trips that broke continuous residence without the applicant knowing. This is the most common one. Someone spends seven months abroad caring for a sick relative and files believing it does not count.
• Unfiled taxes or overdue child support. Both weigh on the good moral character analysis.
• Old arrests the applicant believes were erased. A state expungement does not erase the record for immigration purposes. It has to be disclosed.
• Never registering for Selective Service. This applies to men who lived in the United States between ages 18 and 26.
• Inconsistencies with earlier applications. USCIS compares what you state now against what you stated years ago.

Any one of these deserves a review before filing. In some cases, filing without that review does not just risk citizenship — it can put the green card you already have at risk.

If your application is denied

A denial is not always the end. There is a request for a hearing or reconsideration through Form N-336, filed within 30 days of the decision. If USCIS maintains the denial, the law allows review in federal district court — for Georgia, the Northern District.

It is also worth knowing that some convictions are permanent bars to naturalization, and in those cases the path is different. That is why the analysis before filing matters so much.

Other practice areas