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How Long Does It Take USCIS To Process Form N-400 for Citizenship Applications?

ImmigrationHelp News Team and Jonathan Petts

Updated : 12/12/2023

In the Nutshell

To get U.S. citizenship, you must file Form N-400: Application for Naturalization with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Processing times for Form N-400 have stayed fairly consistent over the past five years with the average wait time being about 11 months. There are 89 field offices that currently process Form N-400. The current average processing time across all offices is 15.5 months. The whole naturalization process (including application processing, the citizenship interview and exam, and oath of allegiance ceremony) takes 18-24 months on average.

Updated December 11, 2023

Form N-400 Processing Times

Form N-400: Application for Naturalization is the form you file to apply for U.S. citizenship by naturalization. If you are 18 years or older and have been a permanent resident (green card holder) for at least five years, or three years if you are married to a U.S. citizen, you are eligible to file Form N-400. When you file your application, you must also submit the required supporting documents and filing fees. 

Here are the current processing times for Form N-400:

Historical Form N-400 Processing Times: 2018-2022

Historical USCIS processing times for citizenship applications have been relatively stable. Over the last five years, the average median processing time for Form N-400 was 10.2 months. 

How Long Will My Citizenship Application Take?

The naturalization process takes 18-24 months on average. Though citizenship is one of the most straightforward immigration applications, a lot of factors can influence your USCIS case processing time. This includes backlogs, number of applications, budget cuts, and staffing issues at the USCIS field office processing your case. 

Also, keep in mind that in addition to filing Form N-400, you’ll also need to undergo a citizenship interview and an English language and civic knowledge test. You can use this guide to common naturalization interview questions to prepare for your interview. We can also help you prepare for the citizenship test by reviewing every question and answer. Finally, you will attend an oath of allegiance ceremony where you trade your green card for a certificate of naturalization. Congratulations!

If you have filed your N-400 application and your case is outside normal processing times, you can contact USCIS to ask for additional information. If you need help understanding your current case status, you can review the case status resources in our Learning Center. One article that may be especially helpful is What Happens if My Green Card Expires While I Wait for Citizenship?