Naturalization Documents
Anyone who applies to become a U.S. citizen must have to complete the Form N-400. However, Form N-400 alone is not enough. You will have to gather necessary supporting documents based on each applicant’s situation. These documents, naturalization documents, are for example, documents to prove citizenship of spouse, green card, marriage certificate, driver’s license, birth certificate, etc. Here, we will guide you through as to what supporting documents are needed besides to completing the Form N-400.
- What documents to submit with the Form N-400
- What supporting documents to bring to your Naturalization interview
- What additional supporting documents you will need
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I. What naturalization documents to submit with Form N-400
The following list of documents must be included and submitted together with Form N-400.
- Personal Check or Money Order (Write you’re A-Number back of the Check)
- Credit Card (Use Form G-1450)
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Decree
- Annulment Certificates
- Death Certificates
II. Supporting documents to bring to your naturalization interview
You must bring the following supporting documents to your naturalization interview.
- State ID
- Driver’s License
- Passports (Current and Expired)
- USCIS-Issued Travel Documents, such as I-94
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Decree
- Annulment Certificates
- Death Certificates
- Other official records to confirm your marital history and current marital status
- Divorce Decree
- Annulment Certificates
- Death Certificates
- Other evidence that indicates the termination of your spouse’s marriage for consideration
- Marriage Certificate
- Court Order of Name Change
- Adoption Papers
- Other Official Records
III. Additional supporting documents
The following naturalization documents can either be included and submitted along with the Form N-400 or can be brought to the naturalization interview. However, we recommend bringing the following lists of naturalization documents to your interview rather than submitting it with the Form N-400 because any changes that occur between filing N-400 and taking the Oath of Allegiance, you will have to submit new supporting document reflecting the change in which event it will cause delay to your process.
- Birth Certificate (for Spouses who have been U.S. Citizen since birth)
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Certificate of Citizenship
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240)
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Decree
- Annulment Certificates
- Death Certificate
- Joint bank account and credit card statements
- Joint leases or mortgages
- Birth Certificate of your child(ren)
- Joint insurance policies
- Joint income tax returns or tax transcripts for the past 3 filing years
- Birth Certificate
- Court order naming you as the parent
- Adoption papers
- Copies of court or government orders for you to provide financial support
- Canceled checks or money order receipts
- Copies of court or government documents showing child support and/or alimony payments
- Records of wage garnishments
- Notarized letter from the parent or guardian who cares for your child(ren)
- Federal Income Tax returns for the past 5 years filing (or past 3 years filing if applying based on marriage to a U.S. Citizen)
- A signed agreement from the appropriate tax office showing that you’ve filled an income tax return and made a payment arrangement for your outstanding balance
- Documentation from the appropriate tax office showing the current status of your payment arrangement
- Copy of your passport showing departure and arrival stamps
- Copies of income tax returns for the past 5 years (or 3 years if applying based on marriage to a U.S. Citizen)
- Rent or mortgage payment receipts
- Bank, Credit Card, and loan statement showing regular transactions
- Auto registration and insurance
- Other records showing that you maintained your permanent residence
- Registration Acknowledgement Card (From Selective Service System)
- Status Information Letter (From Selective Service System)
- A notarized personal affidavit from yourself, stating the reason why you did not register
- Notarized personal affidavits from other people who knew you and can support your claim
- Original or Court-certified arrest report
- Official, certified statement from the law enforcement agency that arrested you or from the court confirming that no charges were filed
- Arrest reports
- Charging documents
- Court dispositions Sentencing reports (including a report that you completed your probationary sentence)
- Other relevant documents (including those in your favor that you’d like USCIS to consider)
- Original or Court-certified sentencing record for each incident
- Original or agency-certified record showing that you completed your program or sentence (Such as a probation or parole record)
- Original or Court-certified court order showing any of the above outcomes
- Original statement from the court that no record exists of your arrest or conviction
- Any of the relevant documents listed above based on the outcome of each incident
- Original arrest record, if any
- Original police report
- Arrested
- Detained
- Charged
- Convicted
- Received an alternative sentence
- Placed in rehabilitation
IV. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. I lost my marriage certificate. What should I do?
A. The marriage certificate proves two people are married. For a certified copy of your marriage certificate, contact the vital records office in the state where you were married. Even though the guidelines vary by state, all requests should include:
- Full names of both spouses at the time of marriage
- Month, day, and year of the marriage
- Place of the marriage (city or town, county, and state)
- Purpose for requesting the copy of the marriage certificate
- Relationship to the people whose marriage certificate is being requested
- Your daytime telephone number (include area code)
Q2. My spouse lost the birth certificate. What should I do?
The birth certificate proves the holder’s identity and age. It may be the most important document. Even if the holder lost it, don’t worry and contact the vital records office in the state where the holder was born to get a copy of the birth certificate.
Applicants filing based on their marriage to a U.S. citizen are required to submit documents to prove U.S. citizenship of their spouse. The documents can be one of Birth Certificate (for Spouses who have been U.S. Citizen since birth), Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240), etc.
Q4. What are naturalization documents?
Naturalization documents are for example, documents to prove citizenship of spouse, marriage certificate, driver’s license, birth certificate, etc. A Form N-400 is the official application but it is not enough to proceed naturalization. It is important to submit necessary supporting documents based on each applicant’s situation.
