What to bring to your citizenship interview
Your interview notice (Form I-797C) lists what USCIS wants from you — read it carefully, because it is tailored to your case. The checklist below covers what almost every applicant brings, so you can pack the folder the night before and sleep well.
Everyone brings these
- Your interview appointment notice (Form I-797C).
- Your green card (Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551).
- A state-issued ID — driver's license or state ID card.
- All your passports and travel documents, current and expired — the officer uses them to confirm the trips listed on your N-400.
Bring these if they apply to you
- Marriage-based applicants: marriage certificate, proof the marriage is ongoing (joint lease or mortgage, joint accounts, tax returns), and proof any earlier marriages ended (divorce decrees, death certificates).
- If you have been arrested or cited — ever, anywhere: certified court dispositions for every incident, even dismissed charges. Bring the paper; do not rely on memory.
- If you owe or pay child support: proof of payments.
- If you have overdue taxes: the IRS payment plan and proof of payments on it.
- If your name changed: the court order, marriage certificate, or divorce decree behind the change.
- If you filed Form N-648 (medical disability exception): a copy, in case the officer's file is incomplete.
- Selective Service: if you are a man who lived in the US between ages 18 and 26, your registration confirmation if you have it.
Small things that help
- A copy of your N-400 as filed — the interview walks through it, and reviewing your own answers the week before is the single best preparation after the civics practice.
- Originals and photocopies of key documents — the officer keeps copies, not your originals.
- Arrive 30 minutes early. Phones are usually allowed in the building but must be silent.
One reassurance: forgetting a supporting document is rarely fatal. The officer can give you a Form N-14 to mail it in afterward. But bringing everything the first time means your case can be approved on the spot — and that is the goal.
This is general information, not legal advice, and your I-797C notice always wins if it asks for something this page does not mention. Wondering what to wear? There is no dress code — here is what people actually wear. Curious what happens once you're called in? See interview day, minute by minute.
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