How to fill out the citizenship application, Form N-400

This page is about filling out the form. It is general information, not legal advice. To check whether you qualify, start with Becoming a U.S. citizen: the complete guide. For the papers that go with the form, see What documents you need to apply for citizenship.

Is there an N-400 in my language?

You can read it in your language, but you file the official English form. The USCIS N-400 page posts the form and instructions in English. That is the form you fill out and send, online or on paper. USCIS takes only the current edition, 01/20/25.

To help people understand the questions, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) shares translations of the N-400 for reading only. When we checked on October 21, 2026, its page listed Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Haitian Creole, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu and Vietnamese. Find them on the ILRC page N-400: Annotated Form and Translations.

Use a translation the smart way:

• Read it side by side with the English form so you know what each question asks.
• Never send it to USCIS. The Spanish version is marked as a draft not to be filed.
• Check the edition. ILRC labels its Spanish, Chinese and Russian versions as based on the April 1, 2024 form. ILRC says the current 01/20/25 form has only minor changes, so a question can still differ. Go by the English form.
• Write your answers in English on the official form.

If someone reads the form to you in another language, or types your answers for you, that person signs the form too. Part 12 is for an interpreter and Part 13 is for a preparer. If one person did both, they fill out both parts (N-400 instructions). That is normal. Just make sure they are honest helpers, not a notario. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

At the interview, the officer will ask about your answers in English. If you qualify for an exception to the English test because of your age and years with a green card, or a disability, you may bring an interpreter for the civics test. See Can I skip the English or civics test because of a disability?

Should I file online or on paper?

File online if you pay the full fee. File on paper if you want a fee waiver or the reduced fee. It is the same N-400, edition 01/20/25, either way (USCIS, checked October 21, 2026).

You may file up to 90 days before you reach your 5 year mark (3 years if you are married to and living with a U.S. citizen). USCIS counts from the "Resident Since" date on your green card.

What do I need before I start?

Your dates. Most mistakes on the N-400 are wrong or missing dates. Gather these first:

• Your green card, front and back. You need your A number and your "Resident Since" date.
• Every home address for the last 5 years, with move in and move out dates.
• Every job and school for the last 5 years, with dates. Include times you were unemployed or self employed.
• Every trip outside the U.S. in the last 5 years, with the day you left and the day you came back. Even a weekend in Mexico counts.
• Your marriage history: every marriage, with dates, and how each earlier marriage ended. Your spouse's details, and their citizenship date if you apply on the 3 year marriage path.
• Your children under 18: the current edition asks how many children you have under age 18, and for details about each one. The instructions say to count all of them, even if the other parent was not your spouse. If you pay or were ordered to pay child support, have proof ready.
• Any arrest, citation or charge, anywhere in the world, with the date and what happened. Get the court papers if you have any. See How to get a copy of your criminal record in California.

Look at your old immigration papers too, like your green card application. Your answers now should match the truth then. If something on an old form was wrong, talk to a lawyer before you file.

How do I fill it out, section by section?

Answer every question, in order, with the truth. Here is the map of the current form (edition 01/20/25), from the N-400 instructions:

Here is what each kind of section asks and the common traps.

Eligibility. You check one box for the reason you qualify. Most people check the general 5 year provision. Check the 3 year box only if you have been married to and living with your U.S. citizen spouse for 3 years, and they have been a citizen that whole time.

About you. Your full legal name, any other names you have used (maiden names, nicknames, names on old papers), your A number and birth date. Use the name and spelling on your green card unless it changed by marriage or court order.

Contact, residence and parents. Your phone, email and addresses. Give a mailing address where you will surely get mail. Moved after you filed? Tell USCIS within 10 days. See How to tell USCIS your new address.

Jobs and schools. Start with the most recent. Leave no gap in time. If you were not working, write that.

Time outside the U.S. (Part 8). The instructions say to list all the trips you took outside the U.S. during the last 5 years (3 years on the marriage path). List every one, even short ones. Total days count. You need at least 30 months inside the U.S. (18 on the marriage path). A trip of more than 6 months raises questions. See Will long trips abroad hurt my citizenship application?

Marriages and children. Count every marriage, including ones that ended. Be ready to show papers.

Additional information about you (Part 9). This is the long list of yes or no questions about taxes, voting, arrests, Selective Service, groups, and your past. Read each one slowly. The next section covers the risky ones.

Fee reduction (Part 10). Only for paper filers asking for the $380 reduced fee. Answer "Yes" in Item 1 and complete the part. If you want a full fee waiver, use Form I-912 instead. Do not ask for both.

Signature. Sign by hand on paper. USCIS rejects an unsigned form.

Which yes or no questions are risky?

Some answers can lead to a denial, or even immigration court. A "Yes" is not always bad, and a true "Yes" is always better than a false "No." But if any of these fit you, talk with an immigration attorney or a DOJ accredited representative before you file:

• Arrests and crimes (Part 9, Items 15 and 16). You must report every arrest, citation, charge and conviction, anywhere in the world. That includes cases that were dropped, sealed, expunged or pardoned, and things that happened before you turned 18. USCIS says leaving them out can get you denied. Your fingerprints will likely show them anyway.
• Probation or parole right now. USCIS will not approve you while you are on probation, parole or a suspended sentence.
• Voting and claiming to be a citizen (Part 9, Items 1 and 2, and related questions). If you ever registered to vote, voted, or said you were a U.S. citizen when you were not, stop and get advice. Since August 2025, USCIS policy says it may send a person to immigration court for this, unless a narrow exception applies. Voting in a local election where noncitizens were allowed to vote is not a problem.
• Taxes (Part 9, Items 3 and 4). If you owe taxes, or did not file when you had to, you will need IRS records and proof of a payment plan. Filing as a "nonresident" can raise questions about whether you gave up your green card.
• Selective Service (Part 9, Item 22). Men who lived here between ages 18 and 25 had to register. See Selective Service and citizenship.
• Past immigration court, deportation, or a false answer on an old immigration form.
• Drugs, two or more DUIs, or time in jail adding up to 180 days or more.

For the full screen, see Can I become a US citizen? Check these warning signs first and Applying for citizenship with an arrest or record.

What if I need more space or I'm not sure of a date?

Use Part 14, Additional Information, near the end of the form. The instructions say to write the page number, part number and item number you are adding to, then your answer. For a date you truly cannot find, give your best estimate and say it is an estimate. Being careful and honest counts more than being perfect.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Leaving a question blank. Answer every one. Follow the instructions for questions that do not apply to you.
• Forgetting short trips, old addresses, or a job you held for a few months.
• Using a name or birth date that does not match your green card, without explaining why.
• Leaving out an old arrest because "it was dismissed."
• Asking for a fee waiver online. Waivers and the reduced fee are paper only.
• Mixing pages from different editions, or sending an unsigned form.
• Sending original papers. Send copies unless USCIS asks for originals. Add a full English translation, with a signed translator's note, for anything not in English.

What happens after I send it?

You get a receipt notice. Keep it. If your green card is expiring, that receipt extends it for 2 years from the "Card Expires" date. See My green card is expiring but I applied for citizenship. Next comes a fingerprint appointment, maybe a neighborhood check, and then your interview, where an officer goes over your answers with you under oath. See What happens at your citizenship interview and oath ceremony.

Keep a full copy of what you sent. Read it again before your interview.

Who can help?

You do not have to do this alone. A free workshop can sit with you and check every answer. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service. Details checked October 18, 2026.

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): 650-326-6440. Walk in help Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1861 Bay Road.
• Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, Redwood City: free citizenship workshop on the second Tuesday of each month, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register at (650) 780-7530.
• San Mateo County Immigrant Services: (650) 363-4194, immigrantservices@smcgov.org.
• Coastside Hope, Half Moon Bay: 650-726-9071, extension 229. Free citizenship classes in English and Spanish.
• Santa Clara County: the Office of Immigrant Relations keeps a list of citizenship providers. Asian Law Alliance, San Jose: (408) 287-9710.
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017.

Only attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives may give you legal advice. More options: Free or low cost immigration legal help in the Bay Area.

Questions people ask

Can a family member fill it out for me? Yes, someone can help you fill it out. They sign as the preparer. You still sign that every answer is true, so read it all, or have it read to you, before you sign.

Can I write my answers in Spanish (or another language)? No. Answer in English on the official form. Use a translation only to understand the questions.

I made a mistake after I filed. Now what? Write down the correct information and bring it to your interview. Tell the officer at the start. If it is about an arrest or a red flag question, call a clinic before the interview.

Do I need a lawyer? Not always. Many people file with help from a free workshop. If any red flag above fits you, get a lawyer or accredited representative before you file.

How long is the form? Long. Plan two or three sittings, or one long workshop session. Having your dates ready cuts the time a lot.

Is there a worksheet I can print?

Yes. Fill it in before you start the form, and bring it to a workshop.

We know this form can feel like your whole life on paper. Take it one section at a time. Many of your neighbors have done it, and so can you.