TABLE OF CHANGES – INSTRUCTIONS
Form N-400, Instructions for Application for Naturalization
OMB Number: 1615-0052
11/08/2022
Reason for Revision: Fee Rule Project Phase: OMBReview
Legend for Proposed Text:
Expires 11/30/2025 Edition Date 11/02/2022 |
Current Page Number and Section |
Current Text |
Proposed Text |
Page 2-4, General Instructions |
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General Instructions
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Filing Fee. Each application must be accompanied by the appropriate filing fee and biometric services fee (if applicable). (See the What Is the Filing Fee section of these Instructions.)
Evidence. At the time of filing, you must submit all evidence and supporting documentation listed in the Required Evidence section of these Instructions.
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General Instructions
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Filing Fee. See Form G-1055, available at www.uscis.gov/forms, for specific information about the fees applicable to this form.
Evidence. At the time of filing, you must submit all evidence and supporting documentation listed in the Required Evidence section of these Instructions.
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Page 4-10, Specific Instructions |
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Specific Instructions
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[Page 7]
NOTE: USCIS may not be able to contact you if you do not provide a complete and valid mailing address. If USCIS rejects your Form N-400, USCIS may not be able to return the fee for the Form N-400 to you if you do not provide a complete and valid mailing address.
If you are residing outside of the United States, filing under INA section 319(b), and you want USCIS to collect your biometrics in the United States, then you must provide an address in the United States. USCIS will send a letter to your U.S. mailing address notifying you when and where to go for your biometrics services appointment.
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[Page 4]
Specific Instructions
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[Page 7]
NOTE: USCIS may not be able to contact you if you do not provide a complete and valid mailing address.
If you are residing outside of the United States, filing under INA section 319(b), and you want USCIS to collect your biometrics in the United States, then you must provide an address in the United States. USCIS will send a letter to your U.S. mailing address notifying you when and where to go for your biometrics services appointment.
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Page 10-14, Required Evidence |
[Page 10]
Required Evidence
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[Page 14]
(2) The incident led to an arrest; or (3) The incident seriously injured another person.
You do not need to submit documentation for traffic fines or incidents that did not involve an arrest or did not involve drugs or alcohol, if the only penalty was a fine of less than $500 or points on your driving record.
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[Page 10]
Required Evidence
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[Page 14]
(2) The incident led to an arrest; or (3) The incident seriously injured another person.
You do not need to submit documentation for traffic fines or incidents that did not involve an arrest or did not involve drugs or alcohol, if the only penalty was a fine of less than $500 or points on your driving record.
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Page 14-16, What Is the Filing Fee? |
[Page 14]
What Is the Filing Fee?
The filing fee for Form N-400 is $640. A biometric services fee of $85 is also required for applicants under 75 years of age when filing Form N-400 regardless of where the applicant lives and whether the applicant is filing from within the United States or abroad.
NOTE: No filing fee is required for military applicants filing under section 328 or 329 of the INA.
Biometric Services Fee Exceptions
You do not have to pay a biometric services fee if:
1. You are 75 years of age or older; or
2. You are filing under the military provisions, Section 328 or 329 of the INA.
USCIS cannot accept a biometric services fee if you are not required to pay a biometric services fee.
Rejected Applications
USCIS will reject your Form N-400 if you submit the incorrect fee or an incorrect payment method. USCIS also will reject your Form N-400 if you include payment for more than what you are required to pay.
In the event USCIS rejects your application, we will return any filing fees with your application.
Use the following guidelines when you are paying for your application. You must:
1. Pay for each application using a single payment method (check, money order, or credit card) and not a combination of methods; and
2. Use the same payment method for all applications that are mailed together.
NOTE: You must submit all fees in the exact amounts. The filing fee and biometric services fee are not refundable, regardless of any action USCIS takes on this application. DO NOT MAIL CASH.
Payments By Check or Money Order
Use the following guidelines when you prepare your checks or money orders for the Form N-400 filing fee and biometric services fee:
1. The checks or money orders must be drawn on a bank or other financial institution located in the United States and must be payable in U.S. currency; and
2. Make the checks or money orders payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
NOTE: Spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security; do not use the initials “USDHS” or “DHS.”
3. If you live outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate for instructions on the method of payment.
Notice to Those Making Payment by Check
If you send us a check, USCIS will convert it into an electronic funds transfer (EFT). This means we will photocopy your check and use the account information on it to electronically debit your account for the amount of the check. The debit from your account will usually take 24 hours and your bank will show it on your regular account statement.
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You will not receive your original check back. We will destroy your original check, but will keep a copy of it. If USCIS cannot process the EFT for technical reasons, you authorize us to process the copy in place of your original check. If your check is returned as unpayable, USCIS will re-submit the payment to the financial institution one time. If the check is returned as unpayable a second time, we will reject your application and charge you a returned check fee.
Payments by Credit Card
Use the following guidelines when you complete Form G-1450 to pay your Form N-400 fees by credit card:
1. Make sure to complete all three sections of the authorization and sign your authorization; and
NOTE: Failure to provide the requested information may result in USCIS and your financial institution not accepting the payment. USCIS cannot process credit card payments without an authorized signature.
2. Place your Form G-1450 ON TOP of your Form N-400.
Notice to Those Making Payment by Credit Card
If you submit Form G-1450, USCIS will use the information you provide to process a credit card payment through the Department of Treasury Pay.gov Collections Control Panel (CCP). CCP is a Web-based application that allows government agencies to process payments by credit or debit cards.
After USCIS processes your Form G-1450, we will destroy your authorization, regardless if USCIS approves or denies your application. USCIS will reject your application for lack of payment if your credit card is declined. USCIS will not attempt to process your credit card payment again.
You must use a single credit card to pay all fees on an individual application.
For more information about Form G-1450 and credit card payments for Form N-400, please visit www.uscis.gov/N-400 or review the frequently asked questions, Pay Your N-400 Application Fee with a Credit Card, at http://www.uscis.gov/forms/fingerprints/pay-your-n-400-application-fee-your-credit-card.
How To Check If the Fees Are Correct
Form N-400 filing fee and biometric services fee are current as of the edition date in the lower left corner of this page. However, because USCIS fees change periodically, you can verify that the fees are correct by following one of the steps below.
1. Visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov, select “FORMS,” and check the appropriate fee; or
2. Call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 and ask for fee information. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing) call 1-800-767-1833.
Fee Reduction
You may be eligible for a fee reduction. To qualify for the reduced fee, your household income must be greater than 150 percent and not more than 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, at the time of filing, based on your household size. The Federal Poverty Guidelines are established by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services annually. To obtain information on the current Federal Poverty Guidelines, visit our website at www.uscis.gov/I-942P and review Form I-942P, Income Guidelines for Reduced Fees.
If you believe you are eligible for a fee reduction, complete Form I-942, Request for Reduced Fee, and submit it and any required evidence to support your request with this application. If you are under 75 years of age, there is no reduction available for the biometric services fee. If your request for reduced fee is approved you will pay $320 plus $85 for a total payment of $405. You do not have to pay a biometric services fee if you are 75 years of age or older.
NOTE: USCIS cannot accept a biometric services fee if you are not required to pay a biometric services fee. USCIS will reject your Form N-400 if you submit the incorrect fee or if you attach payment for more than what you are required to pay. In such a case, USCIS will return any filing fees you submitted with your Form N-400.
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Fee Waiver
You may be eligible for a fee waiver under 8 CFR 103.7(c). If you believe you are eligible for a fee waiver, complete Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver (or a written request) and submit it and any required evidence of your inability to pay the filing fee with this application. You can review the fee waiver guidance at www.uscis.gov/feewaiver.
Re-Filing Form N-400
If USCIS denied your previously filed Form N-400 and you are filing a new Form N-400, you must pay the full amount. Otherwise, USCIS will not accept your Form N-400. USCIS cannot apply a previously submitted filing fee amount to a newly filed Form N-400.
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Page 16, Where To File? |
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Where To File?
See our website at www.uscis.gov/N-400 or call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 for the most current information about where to file this application. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing) call 1-800-767-1833.
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[Page 16]
Where To File?
See our website at www.uscis.gov/N-400 or call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 for the most current information about where to file this application. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing) call 1-800-767-1833.
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Page 16-17, Processing Information |
[Page 16]
Processing Information
Any Form N-400 that is not signed or accompanied by the correct filing fee and biometric services fee will be rejected. Any application that is not completed in accordance with these Instructions, is missing pages, or otherwise not executed in its entirety, or is not accompanied by the required initial evidence, may also be rejected. If your Form N-400 is rejected, the application and any fees will be returned to you and you will be notified why the application is considered deficient. You may correct the deficiency and resubmit Form N-400. An application is not considered properly filed until accepted by USCIS.
Initial Processing. Once USCIS accepts your application, we will check it for completeness. If you do not completely fill out this application, you will not establish a basis for your eligibility and USCIS may reject or deny your application.
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Processing Information
Any Form N-400 that is not signed or accompanied by the correct fee will be rejected. Form N-400 will also be rejected if you use an incorrect payment method or pay more than you are required to pay. Any Form N-400 that is not completed in accordance with these Instructions, is missing pages, or otherwise not executed in its entirety, or is not accompanied by the required initial evidence, may also be rejected. If your Form N-400 is rejected, the application and any fees will be returned to you and you will be notified why the application is considered deficient. If you do not provide a complete and valid mailing address, USCIS may not be able to return the fee if your Form N-400 is rejected. If your Form N-400 is rejected, you may correct the deficiency and refile Form N-400. An application is not considered properly filed until accepted by USCIS.
Initial Processing. Once USCIS accepts your application, we will check it for completeness. If you do not completely fill out this application, you will not establish a basis for your eligibility and USCIS may reject or deny your application.
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Page 18, Paperwork Reduction Act |
[Page 18]
Paperwork Reduction Act
An agency may not conduct or sponsor information collection, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information, unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at 9 hours and 17 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering the required documentation and information, completing the application, preparing statements, attaching necessary documentation, and submitting the application. The collection of biometrics is estimated to require 1 hour and 10 minutes. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, 5900 Capital Gateway Drive, Mail Stop #2140, Camp Springs, MD 20588-0009; OMB No. 1615-0052. Do not mail your completed Form N-400 to this address.
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Paperwork Reduction Act
An agency may not conduct or sponsor information collection, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information, unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at 8.987 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering the required documentation and information, completing the application, preparing statements, attaching necessary documentation, and submitting the application. The collection of biometrics is estimated to require 1 hour and 10 minutes. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, 5900 Capital Gateway Drive, Mail Stop #2140, Camp Springs, MD 20588-0009; OMB No. 1615-0052. Do not mail your completed Form N-400 to this address.
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| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | N-400 |
| Author | Lauver, James L |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2023-08-20 |