Purposes Of The Us Citizenship Interview
The citizenship interview serves many purposes, including allowing USCIS to:
- review your N-400 application, checking whether you meet the basic requirements for U.S. citizenship
- review your immigration file, looking for any past issues, such as having received lawful permanent residence when you didn’t actually deserve it
- test your ability to speak, read, and write English
- test your knowledge of U.S. history and government , and
- make a decision on whether you are eligible for citizenship.
Up to this point, USCIS might have quickly looked over your N-400 application to make sure it’s complete and you paid the fee, but it won’t have reviewed it for substance.
Hearings For Renunciation And Resumption Applicants
Citizenship officers in the field are the decision makers for resumption applications.
Resumption applications will be forwarded from the Case Processing Centre in Sydney to the local office if a hearing is required. Refer to the instructions on resumption. Resumption applications are no longer referred to a citizenship judge for a hearing unless the officer is not satisfied that the applicant has met the relevant residence/physical presence requirements. These applications are referred to a citizenship judge for decision on that single criterion .
Program support officers at the CPC-S are the decision makers for renunciation applications. Refer to the instructions on renunciation. In some cases, the CPC-S will request assistance from the local office or mission to host hearings via video link to conclude a case. Refer to the instructions on hearings via video link.
What Is The Goal Of The Citizenship Interview
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services conducts the U.S. citizenship interview for many purposes, including to:
- Review whether you meet the requirements for U.S. citizenship through your N-400 application form
- Review your immigration file for any previous issues, such as receiving lawful permanent residence when you did not qualify
- Conducting an English test to determine your English reading, writing, and speaking abilities
- Conducting a civics test to determine your knowledge of U.S. history and U.S. government
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How Visanation Law Group Immigration Attorneys Can Help
The USCIS understands the significance of citizenship certificate, and how costly a mistake in the process can be for an applicant. To this end, they made a provision for legal representation during the interview process. It is imperative that you maximize this advantage and get yourself an immigration expert who can guide you in filing the application and all through the entire process.
VisaNation Law Group lawyers are well-grounded in handling citizenship interview cases. Engaging with a VisaNation Law Group attorney will guarantee you a successful interview at the USCIS office. Why notfill out this our contact form to book an appointment with us?
Related Citizenship Topics
Pi Interview Before The Hearing For Cases Where The Applicant Has Not Previously Been Interviewed
If the applicant has requested a hearing at the time of application or in subsequent communication with IRCC because they do not read English or French, or if the applicant has requested a hearing due to a medical condition , the applicant might not be invited for a citizenship test or interview event. Refer to the instructions on adult testing for more information.
All applicants must have a PI interview with a citizenship official before a decision can be rendered. An interview, prior to the start of the hearing, must occur in cases where the applicant has never been seen by IRCC staff at any point in the citizenship process. For these cases, a CARD will need to be generated. The interview must be conducted prior to the hearing to ensure that all relevant information is on file before a decision can be made. This interview can be conducted by either the same officer conducting the hearing or another delegated official.
Note: When a PI interview is required, additional time should be added to the hearing to allow for the interview to be conducted.
If concerns arise as part of the PI interview, any items of concern must be noted in the box of the Part II Interview section of the CARD . A positive decision should not be made until all identified issues have been addressed.
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Preparing For The Naturalization Exam
USCIS provides abundant resources on how to study for the English and U.S. history and government exams, on the Study for the Test page of its website. Here’s a brief overview of both.
The English Test
- You will be given three sentences in English and you have to be able to read one of the sentences to the satisfaction of the USCIS official.
- You will be given three sentences to write in English and you will have to write one sentence legibly.
- Your ability to speak will be determine while you answer questions and speak to the official during the interview.
The U.S. Civics and Government Test
The civics test will consist of the official asking you a series of questions about U.S. history and government. You will have to answer 60% of them correctly.
This means answering six out of ten questions correctly, out of a possible list of 100 questions. See Preparing for the Naturalization Interview for more on how to get ready and what you’ll need to bring.
Questions About Aboriginal Peoples
Aboriginal people lived and flourished in Canada before Europeans colonized the land. The Canadian citizenship test might ask several questions about these people. Knowing the answers shows a connection to Canadas past and the people who lived here long before Europeans.
Sample questions could include:
- What is the name of Canadas largest aboriginal group?
- What are the three main Aboriginal groups in Canada?
- What national symbols have been influenced by the culture of Aboriginal peoples?
- How did Aboriginal peoples enter the country now known as Canada?
Once an application for Canadian citizenship has been filed, the Citizenship Authorities will send the applicant a booklet called Discover Canada. Discover Canada includes all of the materials needed to prepare for the knowledge of Canada aspect of the citizenship test. The citizenship authorities will later send a letter scheduling the applicant to attend for the test. On the day of the test, applicants will have to appear in person and write a multiple choice examination. A mark of at least 75% correct answers is required to pass the test so it is important to study hard in advance of attendance at the citizenship test.
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Do You Need To Give All Possible Answers On The Civics Test For Naturalization
During the naturalization interview, a USCIS Officer will ask you up to 10 civics questions from the list of 100. You must correctly answer six questions to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test. You will need to say the answers aloud. In the official test, the questions are not multiple choice.
Questions About Legal Issues
The questions related to legal issues are too numerous to list in this guide, but include, for example, questions related to:
- Any previous arrests, citations, charges, convictions, and incarceration
- Involvement in police, rebel, or vigilante groups
- Immigration violations
All such questions can be found under Part 12. Additional Information About You of Form N-400. Your responses to these questions are used to determine whether you have met the good moral character requirement of naturalization.
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Testing Your Knowledge Of Us Civics
In some USCIS offices, they split the interview up, by having one officer test you on civics as well as written English, and then another one doing the actual interview. If that’s not the case where you are, however, the interviewing officer will simply ask you several questions from the long list you studied, as was provided by USCIS.
The list contains 100 questions, and you will have to answer six out of ten correctly in order to pass.
If you are unable to answer a sufficient number of questions correctly, the interview will stop. If this was your first interview, you will be rescheduled for another day .
How Many Questions Do They Ask During Citizenship Interview
During the naturalization interview, a USCIS Officer will ask you up to 10 civics questions from the list of 100. You must correctly answer six questions to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test. You will need to say the answers aloud. In the official test, the questions are not multiple choice.
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How Long Is The Wait For A Citizenship Interview
After submitting your citizenship application, you will receive a notice for a biometrics appointment. This appointment is to collect your fingerprints, signature, and photograph, and must be completed before scheduling an interview.
A USCIS agent will run a background check at your biometrics appointment. If you have lied about anything on your application or committed certain crimes, your application can be denied.
If you are unsure of what may come up during your background check, speak with an immigration lawyer before going to your biometrics appointment. An immigration lawyer can run a precautionary background check for red flags, and answer any questions you may have.
In most cases, the citizenship interview takes place 6-10 months after submitting your citizenship application.The interview will be conducted by a USCIS officer who will ask you personal, English and civics questions.
Filing And Completing Your N
The first step to take in your citizenship process is to obtain an Application for Naturalization. You must fill the form according to the instructions and ensure that you do not leave out any part. After filling and submission of your application form, the USCIS will review it, and if the officers are satisfied with the information provided in your form, they will schedule a date for biometric screening. However, if the officials think you have to provide additional evidence, they will contact you to request for that. After the success of biometric screening comes the interview.
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Have You Ever Been Arrested Or Convicted Of Certain Crimes
Even though not all crimes bar you from becoming a U.S citizen, many do. Some crimes raise the question of whether or not you have the moral character required to become a U.S citizen. In most cases, crimes such as sex trafficking, murder, child pornography, kidnapping, and sexual assault are considered grounds for disqualification.
If you have a previous arrest or have been convicted of a crime before, consult an immigration lawyer before your interview. The lawyer will assess your case and inform you whether it could lead to disqualification.
Regardless of the crime, you are expected to remain honest throughout the interview. The crime aside, lying to the USCIS officer while under oath is enough reason to deny your application for U.S. citizenship. Besides, most of the time, the interviewers already have your records before asking these questions.
Questions From The Uscis Officer
The job of the USCIS officer during the interview is to decide whether you are eligible for citizenship. The information and documents you gave when you applied could raise concerns with the officer, particularly if you have committed crimes or have done anything that might affect the officer’s opinion about your “moral character.”
Moreover, the officer might have information about you from sources other than what you provided in your applicationassume that USCIS knows almost everything about you! If the officer has any questions about whether you should get citizenship, based on information you gave or information obtained from other sources, you will need to provide truthful answers at the interview.
The worst thing you can do at a citizenship interview is to lie to the officer because you think the truth will hurt your chances at citizenship. Even if the question is not relevant to the officer’s decision, your citizenship can be denied on grounds that you were not truthful during the interview. If you truly do not know the answer to a question or cannot remember, tell the officer that. Do not make up an answer.
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Key Steps To Prepare For Your Interview
- If possible- visit the USCIS field office a few days before the interview so that you will become familiar with the traffic, location of the correct building, and parking. Being prepared will ease your nerves on the day of your interview.
- Arrive at your interview 15-30 minutes before your scheduled time. It is not something you want to be late to!
- Dress appropriately. Although there is no formal dress policy, it is good to dress conservatively in business casual attire.
- Review a copy of the N-400 application you submitted. This copy is your naturalization application. You can expect a significant portion of the interview to be devoted to answering questions on the N-400, so be familiar with those questions and your responses.
- Be prepared to discuss any information that has changed since you submitted your application. These changes can include having started a new job, having had a child, or having traveled outside the U.S.
- Be Ready to Answer Questions about Your Green Card.
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Immigration officials can ask applicants details about how they obtained their green cards. Officers seek any information that may indicate that someone received a green card illegally. If they uncover false information that could disqualify applicants from citizenship, and it may lead to removal or deportation proceedings. You must be ready to accurately answer questions about the process of getting your green card.
After The Test: Result Interview And Next Steps
After the test, youll meet with a citizenship official for an interview. During the interview, the citizenship official will:
- give you the results of your test, if you had one
- check your language skills, if youre between 18 and 54 years of age
- verify your application and original documents
- ask any questions we may have about your application
- make sure you meet all the requirements for citizenship
If you pass and meet the other requirements for citizenship, we may:
- give you a ceremony date at the same time we give you the test results or
- email or send you a letter with the date and time of your ceremony
Check your junk folder for our emails
- If you gave us your email address in your application, well contact you by email.
- To avoid missing our emails, check your junk or spam folder.
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Citizenship: Interviewing Adult Applicants
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the departments website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Applicants can be asked to appear in person during the citizenship application process. Interviews are meetings that will not necessarily result in a final outcome, whereas a hearing will generally result in a final outcome.
Watch A Video About The Uscis Citizenship Test
The information on this page comes from USCIS and other trusted sources. It is intended for guidance and is updated as often as possible. USAHello does not give legal advice, nor are any of our materials intended to be taken as legal advice. If you are looking for a free or low-cost lawyer or legal help, we can help you find free and low-cost legal services.
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Best Answer: What Do They Ask In Citizenship Interview Australia
You may be asked about your personal details as well as your family background. The interviewer can also ask you about your marital status and kids you have. After asking some general question, they would go for some technical questions, such as duties of individuals as Australian citizen etc.
What Happens If You Dont Pass Your First Test
If you dont pass your first written test, but meet the other requirements for citizenship, we will schedule you for a second test. The second test usually takes place 4 to 8 weeks after the first test, but it may be longer.
If you dont pass your second test, well send you a notice telling you to attend a hearing with a citizenship official. The hearing:
- will last 30 to 90 minutes
- may be in person or by videoconference
- may be used to assess one or more requirements for citizenship, for example:
- knowledge of Canada
- language
If you dont pass the test after 3 tries, well refuse your application. You can re-apply to try again.
When you apply with your family, we process all applications together. If you have to re-write the test or go to a hearing, your family may be invited to a ceremony before you. If you want us to continue processing all the applications together, ask us to pause your familys applications. Well wait until you meet all the requirements so the whole family is invited to the same citizenship ceremony and can become citizens at the same time.
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What To Expect In Your Marriage
The interview is one of the final and some would argue the most important stage of your marriage-based green card application. The purpose of this interview is to assess whether or not you are in a bona fide marriage.
The interviewer will be a consular officer or another immigration officer who is in charge of the case. This officer will also be watching how you interact with each other before, during and after the interview to judge if you are a genuine couple so think of yourselves as being judged as soon as you enter the building.
Furthermore, the interviewer will be looking to see if you are indeed eligible for a marriage-based green card or if you fall into any category of inadmissibility. For example, if you have violated any immigration laws related to past visas, have ever been associated with any terrorist organization or have a lengthy criminal past, you could be ineligible for a green card.
Again, it is best to consult with an immigration attorney who can best ascertain if you are eligible for a marriage-based green card, how to apply and prepare for the process as well as give you any legal advice relevant to your case.
Do you need help applying for a Family Based Visa? Our lawyers can assist you. Get in touch
