N-400 October 2025 filers

[Nick334 1]

35 minutes ago, Sk87 said:

Hey all, I'm filing under the 5 year rule. Interview scheduled for December. I'm so shoched/convfused. Just wish I knew about the whole changes sooner

 

Status	Date
Interview Was Scheduled	October 31, 2025
We received your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and sent you a receipt notice.	October 25, 2025

Wow ! Congrats! What location?

[Sk87 89]

5 hours ago, Nick334 said:

Wow ! Congrats! What location?

Kendall, Miami 

[EKT 122]

Hi everyone, my husband applied under the 3 year rule on 10/10 and has his biometrics appointment next week. I’m seeing that some people are getting quick interview appointments after biometrics (which is great!) and I’m a little concerned about an international trip we have booked in late January. If he gets an interview in December or January and has a same day oath ceremony, would he be required to apply for a U.S. passport to travel/re-enter after that trip? We didn’t think there was much chance of it happening that quickly. 

[OldUser 10,992]

34 minutes ago, EKT said:

 If he gets an interview in December or January and has a same day oath ceremony, would he be required to apply for a U.S. passport to travel/re-enter after that trip? We didn’t think there was much chance of it happening that quickly. 

Yes, US citizens must exit and reenter the US on US passport.

The good news is, if you have urgent travel and proof of it (less than 14 days until departure) you can get passport same day at passport agency.

If it's a vacation / not so important trip, another option is to move the trip.

 

Rescheduling interview is risky, here is recent example:

 

 

[EKT 122]

1 hour ago, OldUser said:

Yes, US citizens must exit and reenter the US on US passport.

The good news is, if you have urgent travel and proof of it (less than 14 days until departure) you can get passport same day at passport agency.

If it's a vacation / not so important trip, another option is to move the trip.

 

Rescheduling interview is risky, here is recent example:

 

 

Ahhh, ok! That is so good to know. 
 

It’s a vacation and fortunately everything we booked is refundable or at least changeable. Fingers crossed the interview ends up being in February or later. 

[bernilli 8]

Hi everyone!
Just wanted to share my N-400 timeline and see if anyone with a similar case can tell me what to expect at the interview.

• Filed N-400 online: October 1, 2025

• Basis: 3-year rule through marriage to a U.S. citizen (we’ve been married 10 years)

• Permanent resident since: 2019

• Biometrics: Reused (no new biometrics appointment)

• Interview scheduled for: Wednesday, November 19, 2025

I’m a bit nervous but excited that it moved this fast.
For those with a similar timeline (marriage-based, online filing, reused biometrics):

• How was your interview?

• What kind of questions did they focus on the most?

• Anything you wish you had prepared better?

Thanks in advance for any tips! 🙏

[TBoneTX 48,515]

11 minutes ago, bernilli said:

Thanks in advance for any tips!

1.  Relax.

2.  This is the easiest part of the entire process.

3.  You'll feel like an eagle soaring through the sky when you're finished.

4.  A big part of the great feeling is updating your VJ timeline with this penultimate step.

5.  See (1.).

[OldUser 10,992]

@bernilli Out of curiosity, why didn't you file under general provision (5 year rule)? If you're LPR since 2019, you might have been eligible for a while now.

 

You will be asked civics questions, some general questions about yourself and your travel plus few questions about marriage.

[bernilli 8]

I actually qualified under both the 3-year marriage rule and the 5-year rule, but I didn’t apply earlier because I never really felt any urgency to start the process. In my mind, I thought it was going to be as long and stressful as my green card process, and just thinking about going through all of that again gave me a lot of anxiety.

When I started hearing that they might change the civics test and make it longer/stricter, that’s when I finally decided it was time to just do it and file my N-400.

[OldUser 10,992]

1 hour ago, bernilli said:

I actually qualified under both the 3-year marriage rule and the 5-year rule, but I didn’t apply earlier because I never really felt any urgency to start the process.

I qualified under both too, but picked general provision (5 year rule) because less evidence is needed, it's a lot simpler case, fewer questions about marriage asked and my spouse wasn't required to be there for interview (for 3 year rule it's recommended they also come). Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Edited Tuesday at 02:57 PM by OldUser

[netghost 1]

On 11/4/2025 at 9:33 AM, OldUser said:

Yes, US citizens must exit and reenter the US on US passport.

The good news is, if you have urgent travel and proof of it (less than 14 days until departure) you can get passport same day at passport agency.

Although the rules indeed say that US citizens must enter the country using a US passport, technically a US citizen cannot be denied entry at a port of entry even without an actual US passport. When I naturalized back in 2022, we were in a middle of a road trip (had to fly back to my home town for the interview/oath appointment). Our itinerary included a leg through Canada, and I couldn't find appointments at any of the cities with passport agencies along our route, so we ended up going to Canada without me having a US passport (I only had a Canadian one and my US naturalization certificate). After a few days I was crossing the border back into the US and told the officer I did not have my passport, and only had my certificate. He ended up not looking at any of my documents whatsoever, asked me if the car was mine and waved me through. Apparently they can link my identity to the license plate of the vehicle I'm in if I've crossed the border in that vehicle before, and can see my immigration status in their system.

 

This, of course, applies to land border crossings. If you need to fly, it's not CBP, that wouldn't let you through - they are actually required by law to admit US citizens at the port of entry. It's the airlines, that won't let you board a US-bound flight without having a US passport or another immigration document (which you will not longer have as they take away the physical green card at the oath ceremony). The only other acceptable document to board a US bound flight would be a Canadian passport (unlike other visa-waiver country passports, which require an approved ESTA, that will liekly be denied for dual US citizens).

 

[bernilli 8]

YESTERDAY I HAD MY INTERVIEW!!!
This is going to be long and it’s basically everything I went through in my N-400 interview under the 3-year marriage rule (married to a U.S. citizen). I hope it helps someone in a similar situation, especially if you have tax issues or are unsure about whether your spouse needs to be there.

---

Background

• Filed under: 3-year rule (marriage to U.S. citizen)

• LPR since: 2019

• I also qualify under the 5-year rule, but chose to file under the 3-year marriage rule.

• I have an IRS payment plan and still owe taxes, but I’m making payments.

---

Arrival & Security

I arrived at the field office around 6:30 a.m. and there was already a line outside. I think I was about 10th in line.

At the entrance, a security officer checked:

• My appointment notice

• My ID

Then we went through airport-style security:

• Bags, purses, and folders went through the X-ray machine.

• Anything metal could trigger extra screening.

From what I saw, BIG TIP:

• Avoid metal belts, high heels with metal pieces, big handbags.

• Several women were sent to a small side room for extra screening because of their shoes, belts, or big bags, and they lost their place in line.

• I had nothing that triggered extra checks, so I moved ahead of some people who had arrived before me.

After security, there was a first check-in counter:

• They took my appointment notice.

• Asked for my Green Card.

• Took a photo.

• Gave me a ticket number for the interview.

Then I waited in the main waiting room. At around 7:15 a.m. I was still sitting, and around 7:20–7:30 a.m. my number was called. I ended up being one of the first interviews of the day.

---

Meeting the Officer & Oath

The officer called my number and took me through a door that separates the waiting area from the offices.

In his office:

• He asked me to remain standing so we could do the oath to tell the truth.

• After the oath, he told me to sit down.

He was very kind and friendly. He told me my English was very good and that I shouldn’t worry about the language part. He said that if at any moment I didn’t understand something, I should just let him know. That helped a lot with my nerves.

The order of the interview was:

1. Civics

2. N-400 questions

3. Reading & Writing

---

1. Civics (First Part)

He started directly with Civics. I don’t remember all six questions exactly, but I do remember some of them:

• The two major political parties in the United States

• How many years a U.S. Senator is elected for

• A question about Louisiana (one of the standard Civics questions related to that state)

• A question about World War II – basically who was involved in the war

I passed the Civics portion without any problems.

---

2. N-400 Questions (Second Part)

After Civics, he went through the N-400 section. He read a lot of questions directly from my form: arrests, memberships, voting, etc. I answered exactly as I had written on the N-400.

Work & Personal Information

He asked me about my work:

• I explained that I’m a self-employed realtor, but my license has to be under a brokerage.

• He asked which brokerage, where the office is, and if I knew the ZIP code. I did, because the office is very close to my home.

• He also asked if it was a physical office or a virtual office. I explained it’s more like a virtual office setup.

He confirmed:

• I have how many times I have been married.

• children.

• If I still have family in my home country.

Passport & Travel

I brought my current passport (issued in 2023), but I did not bring my old passport.

He asked where my previous passport was. I answered honestly:

• I don’t know where it is now.

• I used it to enter the U.S. back in 2014, and then I never used it again.

• I didn’t leave the U.S. until last year, and when I did, it was on a cruise, and I used my new passport, not the old one.

He read the cruise destinations directly from my N-400 and confirmed them with me.

---

Questions About My Husband (3-Year Rule / Marriage Part)

Because I applied under the 3-year marriage rule, he did ask some questions about my husband and our relationship, but it was not an aggressive or super invasive interrogation.

He asked things like:

• What my husband does for work

• How I met my husband

• Some basic confirmation about my husband’s previous marriages (if he had been married before and how many times)

The officer did ask why my husband wasn’t there. I told him:

• I came alone.

• The interview notice did not say that my spouse was required to be present.

• I hadn’t planned for him to come because the letter didn’t state it was necessary.

The officer was totally fine with that. He did not make it an issue at all.

I also mentioned that:

• My husband and I handle taxes together (we work on taxes as a couple).

But he did not dig deeply into the relationship beyond:

• What my husband does,

• How we met,

• Basic marriage history,

• Taxes.

There were no uncomfortable or unusual questions beyond what I would consider normal.

So yes, I filed under the 3-year rule, went alone to the interview, and it was still okay.

---

Taxes & IRS Payment Plan (Most Sensitive Part)

This was definitely the most tense part of the whole interview.

He asked if I owed any taxes. I said yes, and explained I have an active payment plan with the IRS.

He asked to see:

• My IRS tax transcripts

• The IRS payment plan / agreement

• The most recent payment receipts for that plan

I had all of this with me and handed everything over.

He took his time looking at:

• How much I owe

• The fact that I hadn’t always paid on time in the past

• The current payment arrangement

I could see he was concerned about the late payments, but the fact that I now have:

• A formal payment agreement with the IRS, and

• Proof I am making ongoing payments

seemed to help a lot.

Later, when we were wrapping up, he added a note in the system that:

• I still owe taxes, and

• The amount owed,

but also that I have a payment plan and I am paying.

We spent the longest time on this section of the interview, and that’s where I felt the most pressure.

---

3. English: Reading & Writing (Last Part)

After Civics and the N-400 questions, he tested my English.

Reading

He gave me a very short, easy sentence to read out loud. It was simple and not a problem.

Writing

For the writing portion, I had to write something like:

“Citizens can vote.”

The sentence itself was straightforward, but the word “citizens” was the hardest part for me to spell. Still, overall, the English test was very basic.

---

Final Steps, Signature & Recommendation

At the end, he:

1. Showed my information on the screen and asked me to verify that everything was correct.

2. Added a note indicating:

   • That I owe taxes, and

   • The amount owed.

3. Asked me to sign electronically.

4. Had me sign the decision/oath-related form as well.

He told me:

• That he doesn’t make the final decision by himself,

• But that he was recommending approval of my N-400.

He also emphasized that:

• For the Oath Ceremony, I should bring again all the documents proving:

  • The IRS payment plan, and

  • Recent payments,

so there would be no issues at the final step of granting citizenship.

---

Oath Ceremony Notice (Same Week!)

After the interview, I went back to the waiting room. Someone told me:

• To stay inside and wait, and that if there was something for me, they would call my name.

After a short while, someone came out, called my name, and handed me my Oath Ceremony notice.

My Oath is this Friday, in the same week as my interview. 🎉

---

My Tips (Especially if You Have Taxes or Are Applying under the 3-Year Rule)

• Arrive early and keep security simple:

  • Avoid big handbags, metal belts, high-heel shoes with metal, etc.

• If you owe taxes:

  • Bring your IRS payment plan letter.

  • Bring tax transcripts.

  • Bring recent payment receipts.

  • Be ready to explain calmly.

• If you’re applying under the 3-year marriage rule:

  • Expect some questions about your spouse and marriage, but in my case they were basic and reasonable.

  • My spouse did not attend the interview, and it was not a problem.

• The English part is very basic if you use English regularly.

• Emotionally prepare for the tax part if you have an issue there, but remember:
  👉 A formal IRS payment plan + proof of ongoing payments can still result in a recommended approval.

Hope this long post helps someone who’s nervous about the 3-year rule, tax issues, or going alone to the interview. 

[lanade 28]

1 hour ago, bernilli said:

YESTERDAY I HAD MY INTERVIEW!!!
This is going to be long and it’s basically everything I went through in my N-400 interview under the 3-year marriage rule (married to a U.S. citizen). I hope it helps someone in a similar situation, especially if you have tax issues or are unsure about whether your spouse needs to be there.

---

Background

• Filed under: 3-year rule (marriage to U.S. citizen)

• LPR since: 2019

• I also qualify under the 5-year rule, but chose to file under the 3-year marriage rule.

• I have an IRS payment plan and still owe taxes, but I’m making payments.

---

Arrival & Security

I arrived at the field office around 6:30 a.m. and there was already a line outside. I think I was about 10th in line.

At the entrance, a security officer checked:

• My appointment notice

• My ID

Then we went through airport-style security:

• Bags, purses, and folders went through the X-ray machine.

• Anything metal could trigger extra screening.

From what I saw, BIG TIP:

• Avoid metal belts, high heels with metal pieces, big handbags.

• Several women were sent to a small side room for extra screening because of their shoes, belts, or big bags, and they lost their place in line.

• I had nothing that triggered extra checks, so I moved ahead of some people who had arrived before me.

After security, there was a first check-in counter:

• They took my appointment notice.

• Asked for my Green Card.

• Took a photo.

• Gave me a ticket number for the interview.

Then I waited in the main waiting room. At around 7:15 a.m. I was still sitting, and around 7:20–7:30 a.m. my number was called. I ended up being one of the first interviews of the day.

---

Meeting the Officer & Oath

The officer called my number and took me through a door that separates the waiting area from the offices.

In his office:

• He asked me to remain standing so we could do the oath to tell the truth.

• After the oath, he told me to sit down.

He was very kind and friendly. He told me my English was very good and that I shouldn’t worry about the language part. He said that if at any moment I didn’t understand something, I should just let him know. That helped a lot with my nerves.

The order of the interview was:

1. Civics

2. N-400 questions

3. Reading & Writing

---

1. Civics (First Part)

He started directly with Civics. I don’t remember all six questions exactly, but I do remember some of them:

• The two major political parties in the United States

• How many years a U.S. Senator is elected for

• A question about Louisiana (one of the standard Civics questions related to that state)

• A question about World War II – basically who was involved in the war

I passed the Civics portion without any problems.

---

2. N-400 Questions (Second Part)

After Civics, he went through the N-400 section. He read a lot of questions directly from my form: arrests, memberships, voting, etc. I answered exactly as I had written on the N-400.

Work & Personal Information

He asked me about my work:

• I explained that I’m a self-employed realtor, but my license has to be under a brokerage.

• He asked which brokerage, where the office is, and if I knew the ZIP code. I did, because the office is very close to my home.

• He also asked if it was a physical office or a virtual office. I explained it’s more like a virtual office setup.

He confirmed:

• I have how many times I have been married.

• children.

• If I still have family in my home country.

Passport & Travel

I brought my current passport (issued in 2023), but I did not bring my old passport.

He asked where my previous passport was. I answered honestly:

• I don’t know where it is now.

• I used it to enter the U.S. back in 2014, and then I never used it again.

• I didn’t leave the U.S. until last year, and when I did, it was on a cruise, and I used my new passport, not the old one.

He read the cruise destinations directly from my N-400 and confirmed them with me.

---

Questions About My Husband (3-Year Rule / Marriage Part)

Because I applied under the 3-year marriage rule, he did ask some questions about my husband and our relationship, but it was not an aggressive or super invasive interrogation.

He asked things like:

• What my husband does for work

• How I met my husband

• Some basic confirmation about my husband’s previous marriages (if he had been married before and how many times)

The officer did ask why my husband wasn’t there. I told him:

• I came alone.

• The interview notice did not say that my spouse was required to be present.

• I hadn’t planned for him to come because the letter didn’t state it was necessary.

The officer was totally fine with that. He did not make it an issue at all.

I also mentioned that:

• My husband and I handle taxes together (we work on taxes as a couple).

But he did not dig deeply into the relationship beyond:

• What my husband does,

• How we met,

• Basic marriage history,

• Taxes.

There were no uncomfortable or unusual questions beyond what I would consider normal.

So yes, I filed under the 3-year rule, went alone to the interview, and it was still okay.

---

Taxes & IRS Payment Plan (Most Sensitive Part)

This was definitely the most tense part of the whole interview.

He asked if I owed any taxes. I said yes, and explained I have an active payment plan with the IRS.

He asked to see:

• My IRS tax transcripts

• The IRS payment plan / agreement

• The most recent payment receipts for that plan

I had all of this with me and handed everything over.

He took his time looking at:

• How much I owe

• The fact that I hadn’t always paid on time in the past

• The current payment arrangement

I could see he was concerned about the late payments, but the fact that I now have:

• A formal payment agreement with the IRS, and

• Proof I am making ongoing payments

seemed to help a lot.

Later, when we were wrapping up, he added a note in the system that:

• I still owe taxes, and

• The amount owed,

but also that I have a payment plan and I am paying.

We spent the longest time on this section of the interview, and that’s where I felt the most pressure.

---

3. English: Reading & Writing (Last Part)

After Civics and the N-400 questions, he tested my English.

Reading

He gave me a very short, easy sentence to read out loud. It was simple and not a problem.

Writing

For the writing portion, I had to write something like:

“Citizens can vote.”

The sentence itself was straightforward, but the word “citizens” was the hardest part for me to spell. Still, overall, the English test was very basic.

---

Final Steps, Signature & Recommendation

At the end, he:

1. Showed my information on the screen and asked me to verify that everything was correct.

2. Added a note indicating:

   • That I owe taxes, and

   • The amount owed.

3. Asked me to sign electronically.

4. Had me sign the decision/oath-related form as well.

He told me:

• That he doesn’t make the final decision by himself,

• But that he was recommending approval of my N-400.

He also emphasized that:

• For the Oath Ceremony, I should bring again all the documents proving:

  • The IRS payment plan, and

  • Recent payments,

so there would be no issues at the final step of granting citizenship.

---

Oath Ceremony Notice (Same Week!)

After the interview, I went back to the waiting room. Someone told me:

• To stay inside and wait, and that if there was something for me, they would call my name.

After a short while, someone came out, called my name, and handed me my Oath Ceremony notice.

My Oath is this Friday, in the same week as my interview. 🎉

---

My Tips (Especially if You Have Taxes or Are Applying under the 3-Year Rule)

• Arrive early and keep security simple:

  • Avoid big handbags, metal belts, high-heel shoes with metal, etc.

• If you owe taxes:

  • Bring your IRS payment plan letter.

  • Bring tax transcripts.

  • Bring recent payment receipts.

  • Be ready to explain calmly.

• If you’re applying under the 3-year marriage rule:

  • Expect some questions about your spouse and marriage, but in my case they were basic and reasonable.

  • My spouse did not attend the interview, and it was not a problem.

• The English part is very basic if you use English regularly.

• Emotionally prepare for the tax part if you have an issue there, but remember:
  👉 A formal IRS payment plan + proof of ongoing payments can still result in a recommended approval.

Hope this long post helps someone who’s nervous about the 3-year rule, tax issues, or going alone to the interview. 

Congratulations and thank you.

[OldUser 10,992]

Thank you for elaborated post with your experience @bernilli!

 

I'm surprised you did not take your spouse with you for 3 year rule, I even mentioned it in my post earlier as one of the reasons for applying under general provision when eligible for both. In my opinion, you were really lucky to have a cooperating and understanding officer. Not all of them are like this. You could have easily come across somebody who would be focusing all the interview on marriage just because the spouse wasn't there.

 

For anybody in this thread, if you have N-400 under 3 year rule, make sure to bring your spouse. More often that not, officers do expect them to accompany you. Not all of them will be satisfied with answer that it wasn't mentioned in letter. The application is based on marriage after all.

 

Good luck and keep us posted! Very lucky with short time to oath.

Please remember to update citizenship status with SSA and get a large passport book (it is a free upgrade) 

[mam521 2,786]

@netghost be careful with what you say.  It is law that you enter/exit the US as a citizen, with a US passport, especially when flying. 

 

DOS:  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/Relinquishing-US-Nationality/Dual-Nationality.html

CBP article: https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1467?language=en_US

 

On 11/18/2025 at 7:43 AM, bernilli said:

In my mind, I thought it was going to be as long and stressful as my green card process, and just thinking about going through all of that again gave me a lot of anxiety.

Immigration PTSD is real!  Congrats on kicking immi's behind!  Now you can update your profile to say naturalization  .  Book an appointment to get your shiny, new US passport, too!  Once you get your naturalization certificate back, make sure you book an appointment at the SSA and update your citizenship status there, too.