N400, 3 year rule - Getting ready to file

[Pat2021 43]

Hi VisaJourney community, it's been a while!
I am getting ready to file my N400 under the 3 year rule and have a few questions about it.

• For proof of living with my wife, what is the best document to submit?
  • We have a mortgage together, so would a recent mortgage statement suffice, or do I need to provide the deed?
• I received a speeding ticket, that was later dismissed. Now I've read that I need to declare this on the application and provide proof its been dismissed.
  • I assume the mailed decision, form TR-215 is sufficient as proof?
• Is there a good flash card set for the new 2025 civics questions?
  • On Amazon I can only find the previous 2008 questions and I read that mobile apps are deceiving as they are multiple-choice and the actual test is not.
• Is there any need to study for the English exam if I am fully fluent?
• Does my wife attend the interview with me?
  • If so, is there anything she needs to prepare for?
• Are there any further fees after the interview that I need to bear in mind, i.e. passport issuance or anything like that?

 

Thank you in advance!

[TBoneTX 49,282]

2 hours ago, Pat2021 said:

would a recent mortgage statement suffice

It should.  If you don't have wills, powers of attorney, and other estate documents, these are excellent evidence -- and even more valuable to have in "life."

2 hours ago, Pat2021 said:

I need to declare this on the application and provide proof its been dismissed.

This.  Unsure of what your form is; others can comment.

2 hours ago, Pat2021 said:

I am fully fluent

There's your answer.   

2 hours ago, Pat2021 said:

Does my wife attend the interview with me?

Optional.  However, a question:  Your timeline doesn't show I-751 information.  If yours hasn't been approved, and your N-400 application "forces" adjudication of the I-751, then your wife would have to attend the combination interview.

2 hours ago, Pat2021 said:

further fees after the interview

Not as such.  You'll be scheduled for your Oath sometime later.  After you have your Oath ceremony, you can apply for a passport at the posted fees.  Get a passport book with extra pages (no extra cost).  If you travel by land to Mexico or Canada, also get a passport card (see posted fee).  Update your citizenship status with Social Security, state of residence, et al.

[Pat2021 43]

24 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Optional.  However, a question:  Your timeline doesn't show I-751 information.  If yours hasn't been approved, and your N-400 application "forces" adjudication of the I-751, then your wife would have to attend the combination interview.

 

Thank you for the answers.

When I entered we were married for over 2 years already and as such I never had conditions and received the 10 year green card.

Do I still need to file an I-751 before I file the N400?

[TBoneTX 49,282]

15 minutes ago, Pat2021 said:

Thank you for the answers.

You're welcome.  Others will be along to help further and to refine my answers as needed.

16 minutes ago, Pat2021 said:

When I entered we were married for over 2 years already and as such I never had conditions and received the 10 year green card.

Ah!  Excellent.  No I-751 needed.

[Dashinka 26,580]

As to the speeding ticket that is a grey area as the N400 instructions and form are not completely clear.  Technically being stopped by a police office for a traffic infraction is considered "detained", but the instructions also include this note "Note that unless a traffic incident was alcohol or drug related, led to an arrest, or seriously injured another person, you do not need to submit documentation of traffic incidents.", so it is probably best to answer yes to that question in Part 9, and take the ticket with you to the interview and explain it there.  It should not be an issue, in my wife's case, she received a traffic ticket for running a red light, and we forgot about it when she filled out her N400, but she did discuss it with the IO and took the documentation with her and it was a non-issue.

 

As to your spouse attending, it is not required especially since there is no pending I751, but it can lend support to you on what could be a bit of a stressful time.  In our case I did go with my wife, but we also had an I751 in process, the IO conducted a very short I751 interview with the both of us, but my wife did her N400 interview with me waiting in the lobby (YMMV).

 

Good Luck!

[Sukie 1,511]

As to your question about flash cards...

 

Make your own.  Go through the questions, and if you do NOT immediately know the answer to a question, take an index card and make yourself a flash card.  This way, you don't have to make 100 flash cards (I did this for my spouse).  We used to sit across from each other at the dinner table, and I'd ask the questions.  If she got the answer correct the first time, I set the card aside.  If she missed the answer, the card went into another pile.  We'd work on the "missed" pile, until she got all of them correct.  Then I'd shuffle ALL the cards, and we'd start over.  She scored 100% on her test!

 

Sukie in NY

[mam521 2,942]

You can study whatever way works for you.  I used an app and just answered 50 questions at a time until I scored 96% or higher every time I did them. The nice thing about the app is it asked which state I was in so it would pull the most up to date information on who the representatives were.  

 

For your civics exam, you will be asked up to 20 questions.  You have to correctly answer 12.  If you answer the first 12 correctly, they won't ask you any further questions. 

 

Good luck!   

[Moda25 96]

During my time in 2015, when I went for my biometrics, I was given a book with the civic test questions with answers and a CD that I could play in my car when driving. I don’t know if they still do this. It was very helpful to me. 

[JD2 267]

20 hours ago, Pat2021 said:

Is there a good flash card set for the new 2025 civics questions?

My wife is using this set:  But it is old.  You need to print the new additional questions and add them.  https://bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/us-citizenship-and-immigration-services-uscis

[TBoneTX 49,282]

You'll be under a different system, but see what we went through:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/382775-mrs-t-b-the-citizenship-test/

   

[Pat2021 43]

Thank you all!

[top_secret 2,781]

On 2/4/2026 at 5:18 PM, Pat2021 said:

 

• Is there a good flash card set for the new 2025 civics questions?
  • On Amazon I can only find the previous 2008 questions and I read that mobile apps are deceiving as they are multiple-choice and the actual test is not.

 

Amazon, eBay, etc do have the new version flash cards.  They seem to be using the terminology "128 Questions" to designate the difference from the previous 2008 questions.

 

Additionally, my wife found the civic question practice videos and mock test videos on YouTube to be a fantastically useful resource.  There are many different ones.  Just do a YouTube search for "128 Civics questions".

 

On 2/4/2026 at 5:18 PM, Pat2021 said:

 

• Does my wife attend the interview with me?
  • If so, is there anything she needs to prepare for?

 

I went with my wife to her interview.  I just sat in the waiting room but when the agent came to the door and called my wife to go back to her interview he asked her by my full first and last name if I was her husband in the application and acknowledged my being there.  I took it that he had just reviewed the application, recognized me from the pictures we submitted and did make note of the fact I showed up.