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N-400 questions at the interview, explained in plain English

Free help with the N-400 questions: at your N-400 interview, a USCIS officer goes through your Form N-400 with you, in English, and asks you questions about it. This page helps you understand the English of that conversation: the steps, what the officer does with your form, and the words on it, in plain English.

Practise listening

A man holding a sheet of paper listens as a woman answers his questions across a table.A man holding a sheet of paper listens as a woman answers his questions across a table.

Free from USCIS: Form N-400 and its instructions are on USCIS, Form N-400, and the official study materials are on USCIS, study for the test. USCIS forms are always free; get them only from USCIS forms.

What happens at the N-400 interview

From the letter to the ceremony, in 8 steps. Each step links the USCIS page it comes from.

  1. The letter. USCIS mails you an appointment notice with the date, the time and the place of your interview. Go to that USCIS office at that time, and bring the notice. USCIS, 10 steps to naturalization
  2. What to bring. Your appointment notice, your Permanent Resident Card (green card), an ID card from your state, and all your passports and travel documents since you became a permanent resident. USCIS's document checklist (Form M-477) lists other papers some people need. USCIS, what to expect
  3. The oath. At the start, the officer asks you to promise to tell the truth. From then on, you are under oath. USCIS Policy Manual, volume 12, part B, chapter 3
  4. Your N-400. The officer goes through the answers on your Form N-400 with you and asks questions to make them clear or to check them. USCIS, commonly asked questions about naturalization
  5. Speaking. Your spoken English is judged during this conversation: how well you understand the officer and answer. USCIS, the naturalization interview and test
  6. Reading, writing and civics. You read aloud one of up to 3 sentences, write one of up to 3, and answer civics questions, unless USCIS has excused you from them (an exemption). USCIS, the naturalization interview and test
  7. The result. At the end, the officer gives you a notice of results (USCIS Policy Manual). USCIS can grant your application (approve it), continue it (it needs more, for example a document or a second try at a test) or deny it (refuse it), and mails you its decision. USCIS, 10 steps to naturalization
  8. The ceremony. If USCIS approves your application, you take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony, sometimes on the same day. You become a citizen only when you take the oath. USCIS, 10 steps to naturalization

There are separate pages for the English test (reading and writing) and for civics interview practice.

What the officer does with your N-400

Tell the truth, the same as on your form

Answer every question truthfully, and the same way as on your N-400. If something has changed since you filed, or something on your form is wrong, tell the officer: the officer can record the change.

This page never tells you what to answer. It explains the words, so that you understand the questions. Only an attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can advise you about your answers.

N-400 definitions: 10 words in plain English

Words you may hear in the interview, from Form N-400 (edition 01/20/25). The meanings are ours, in plain English, to help you understand the officer. They are not legal definitions.

under oath
After you have promised to tell the truth. At the start of the interview, the officer asks you to make this promise.
penalty of perjury
The punishment the law sets for saying or writing something you know is false when you have sworn, or signed, that it is true. The applicant signs the N-400 under penalty of perjury.
lawful permanent resident
A person who is allowed to live and work in the United States permanently. Their proof is the Permanent Resident Card, often called a green card.
claim to be a U.S. citizen
To say or write, in any way, that you are a citizen of the United States.
hereditary title
A title of nobility that passes from parent to child in a family, such as duke, count or baron. An order of nobility is the class of noble families that hold such titles.
advocate
To speak or write in support of an idea or an action.
good moral character
One of the requirements for naturalization. USCIS looks at how a person has behaved, including whether they have obeyed the law.
habitual drunkard
A person who drinks alcohol until drunk very often, as a habit.
removal proceedings
A case in immigration court that decides whether a person must leave the United States.
allegiance
Loyalty to a country. In the Oath of Allegiance, a new citizen promises loyalty to the United States.

N-400 interview questions: listen and say what they mean

The officer reads the questions from your form aloud. Here, your browser reads questions like them. Say or type what each one means, then compare it with the meaning in plain English. These questions are our own wording of the kind the officer asks; the officer may use different words.

The 3 sample questions, in writing, with what each one means:

Have you ever claimed to be a U.S. citizen?
Did you ever say or write, in any way, that you are a citizen of the United States?
Have you ever been placed in removal proceedings?
Was there ever a case in immigration court about whether you must leave the United States?
Do you support the Constitution and form of government of the United States?
Do you agree with and stand behind the U.S. Constitution and the way the U.S. government is set up?

What to practise

The 3 sample questions, one at a time, free as often as you like.

All 100 N-400 vocabulary words in plain English

The other 90 words and phrases are in the US interview pack (US$9.99). See what it includes.

Where to get real help

For questions about your own case, ask an attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative. Only they can give immigration legal advice. These pages help you find one and check who you are dealing with:

Common questions

What questions are asked at the N-400 interview?

The officer goes through your Form N-400 with you and asks questions to clarify or confirm your answers. The questions cover all the requirements for naturalization, including moral character and any criminal history (USCIS Policy Manual). They cover topics such as where you live and work, your trips, marriage and family, voting and taxes, the police and the courts, immigration history, military service and the oath. You also take the English test and the civics test, unless you have an exemption.

Is the N-400 interview in English?

Yes, for most people: your spoken English is judged during the interview. People with an age-and-residence exception (50/20, 55/15 or 65/20) may take the civics test in their own language, with an interpreter.

Can I ask the officer to repeat a question?

Yes. USCIS says that applicants may ask the officer to repeat or rephrase questions during the naturalization interview.

Can an attorney answer the questions for me?

No. An attorney or an accredited representative may come to the interview with you, but the USCIS Policy Manual says they should not answer the questions the officer asks you.

Does this page tell me what to answer?

No. It explains the English words and what each question means. Your answers are yours, and they must be true. Only an attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can advise you about your application.

What is free here, and what does the US interview pack add?

The interview steps, the 10 words on this page and 3 sample questions are free. The US interview pack (US$9.99, one payment) adds all 100 N-400 words and phrases in plain English, and listening practice with all 45 questions. It also includes the full civics interview and the reading and writing practice. The all-tests unlock (£7.99, paid in British pounds) includes it.

Checked 24 October 2026 against Form N-400 (edition 01/20/25) on uscis.gov (page updated 16 June 2026) and the USCIS pages linked in each step. The meanings are written in our own words, and an independent second check reviewed each one for accuracy and neutrality.