How to Fill Out Form N-445: Questionnaire, Check-In, and Rescheduling

Form N-445, the Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony, arrives from USCIS after your naturalization application is approved and tells you when and where to take the Oath of Allegiance. To fill it out, complete the short yes-or-no questionnaire on the back in black ink at home before the ceremony, answering every question honestly about anything that has changed since your naturalization interview. Do not sign or date the form yet. You will sign it at the ceremony venue under the direction of a USCIS officer.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization Ceremonies

What the Form Is and When You Get It

USCIS mails Form N-445 to applicants whose local office does not offer a same-day oath ceremony after the interview. The front of the notice carries the date, time, street address, building or room number, and check-in time for your scheduled ceremony.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization Ceremonies The back is the part you fill out.

Read the notice as soon as it arrives. Confirm your name is spelled correctly, check the ceremony date against your calendar, and note the check-in time, which is usually earlier than the ceremony start.

Filling Out the Questionnaire on the Back

The questionnaire is a set of yes-or-no questions covering anything that could affect your eligibility between the interview and the oath. Under 8 CFR 337.2(c), you must complete it immediately before taking the oath, and a USCIS officer will review your answers and may ask follow-up questions.2eCFR. 8 CFR 337.2 – Oath Administered by USCIS or EOIR

Expect questions asking whether, since your interview, you have:

  • Traveled outside the United States
  • Married, divorced, or become separated
  • Been arrested, cited, or charged with any crime
  • Joined or become associated with any organization
  • Changed your views on bearing arms or performing service for the United States

Use black ink. Write clearly. Answer each question with a mark for yes or no. Fill in the responses at home before you leave for the ceremony; USCIS instructs applicants to arrive with the questionnaire already completed.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization Ceremonies

Leave the signature and date lines blank. Those get filled in at the venue when a USCIS officer tells you to sign. Signing early is not a fatal error, but the officer is supposed to witness the certification, so save it for check-in.

Think Through Each Question Before Marking No

The questions look simple, and most people answer no to most of them, but each one deserves a moment of honest thought.

Travel outside the United States. Any trip counts, however short. Have the dates ready in case the officer asks.

Marital status changes. A new marriage, a divorce, or a legal separation since your interview all get a yes. This matters especially if you naturalized based on marriage to a U.S. citizen.

Arrests, citations, or charges. This is broad. A traffic citation that resulted in more than a fine, a DUI arrest, a domestic call where you were cited — any of these are yes answers. Do not guess about whether something “counts.” Disclose it and let the officer evaluate.

Organizational membership. The concern is membership in groups that would raise good-moral-character or security questions, but the question is written broadly. If in doubt, disclose.

Views on bearing arms or performing service. If your position has actually changed since the interview, mark yes. A modified oath is available for religious objectors, but the time to raise that was during the N-400 interview.

Why Honest Answers Matter

Answering yes to a question does not automatically disqualify you. Answering falsely almost certainly will create problems. If the reviewing officer finds derogatory information, USCIS pulls your name from the ceremony list and reopens your case. You then have 15 days to respond in writing before the agency decides whether to deny your application.3eCFR. 8 CFR 335.5

A new arrest disclosed on the form is a manageable issue. The same arrest concealed and later discovered is grounds for denial and, potentially, revocation.

Bring the Completed Form to Check-In

The finished N-445 is your entry document. Bring the original notice, not a copy, with the questionnaire filled out and the signature line still blank. Along with it, bring:

At the intake desk you hand over the N-445 and your Green Card. An officer reviews your questionnaire answers, asks any follow-up questions, and confirms your eligibility. That review is when the officer will ask you to sign and date the form.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part J Chapter 5 – Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies

If your Green Card was lost and you documented the loss during your interview, the surrender requirement is waived. The same waiver applies to applicants who naturalized through military service and were never granted permanent residence.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization Ceremonies

If You Cannot Attend the Scheduled Date

If something comes up and you cannot attend the ceremony on the N-445, contact the USCIS office listed on the notice as soon as possible and ask to be rescheduled. Bring the original N-445 to the rescheduled ceremony; the same completed questionnaire travels with you, though the officer may ask about anything that has changed in the interim.

Missing one ceremony is usually not fatal. Missing two or more without good cause is treated as abandonment of your naturalization application. USCIS will issue a motion to reopen your case, give you 15 days to respond, and may deny the application if you do not.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part J Chapter 4 – General Considerations for All Oath Ceremonies

You are not a U.S. citizen until you take the oath. Getting the N-445 right, and getting yourself to the ceremony with it in hand, is the last thing standing between approval and citizenship.