A. The Swearing-in Ceremony

• Library: Becoming a U.S. Citizen (Nolo) (2021 Ed.)

A. The Swearing-In Ceremony

You are not a U.S. citizen until you attend a swearing-in (or "oath") ceremony. Either at your USCIS interview or soon after, you will receive a written notice (Form N-445) telling you the date and time at which the ceremony will be held. (Some offices conduct "same-day" ceremonies, as well.) USCIS usually holds such ceremonies twice a month. Or, it might hold the formal ceremonies less often, but supplement those with less formal swearings-in held at USCIS district offices.

CAUTION

You do not become a citizen until the ceremony. So you must continue to maintain your eligibility for citizenship until that time. In fact, you will be asked before the ceremony to sign a paper assuring USCIS that you are still eligible for citizenship. Now is not the time to jeopardize your chances for citizenship by getting arrested or by suddenly divorcing the person through whom you obtained your green card. And if you applied for citizenship after three years based on being married to and living with a U.S. citizen, you must continue to maintain that status through the ceremony, or lose eligibility.

If you won't be able to make the appointment for the swearing-in ceremony, return the notice to USCIS along with a letter explaining why you're unable to attend and asking the agency to reschedule you. Make a copy of both items for yourself before mailing them. Send the request by FedEx, certified mail, or some other method with delivery tracking to the USCIS office where you had your interview—you'll find the address on the swearing-in notice. The USCIS office will reschedule you and send you a new Form N-445 appointment notice to tell you when your swearing-in ceremony will be.

We recommend trying to attend the appointment, however, because rescheduling always seems to produce delays. Also note that if you simply don't show up for more than one swearing-in ceremony (and didn't request rescheduling), USCIS may simply deny your citizenship at this point.

1. When and Where the Oath Ceremony Will Be Held

Depending on where you live and the oath ceremony schedule in your district, you could be scheduled as soon as the same day you pass your interview; or you might have to wait several months before taking the Oath of Allegiance. Also, you might be told the date of your swearing-in at the time of approval, or might have to wait for notification by mail.

The ceremony may be held at any of a variety of locations. The possibilities range from a small room...