Hi everyone! I'm Jackie
and I'm here to help you pass your U.S. citizenship interview.
The process of becoming a U.S. citizen is time-consuming and costly.
so the last thing you want is to submit your application form and get denied.
In this video, I'll go over the top reasons that I've seen applications get denied
so that you can avoid these costly mistakes.
Make sure to watch until the end because I will also go over what will not affect your application approval.
Are you ready? Let's start.
Top reasons to fail your U.S. naturalization interview.
01. Failing your civics test
First, I still see a lot of applicants asking which version of the test they should take.
As of now, everyone has to take the 2008 version of the civics test.
There was a 2020 version for a brief time but they phased it out.
I'll add the link in the description.
So there are 100 civics questions you need to study.
During the interview, the immigration officer will ask you up to 10 questions
and you have to get six of them correct to pass this portion of the interview.
These are not multiple choice questions.
And you will be asked orally.
You must study!
And if you need help with the civics test,
we have a list of videos on our channel to help you out.
So make sure to check them out here.
02. Failing your English reading and writing test
During the interview, the immigration officer will provide you up to three English sentences to read
and up to three English sentences to write.
These sentences are based on a set of vocabulary provided by USCIS.
You have to write one sentence correctly
and read one sentence out loud correctly to pass this portion of the interview.
Both tests will be conducted on a tablet.
So you have to read a sentence on the tablet
and write a sentence on the tablet using a stylus pen.
So try to practice writing with a stylus pen before the interview because it's quite different.
And we've made several videos with sample sentences
that cover all of the vocabulary you need to know for this portion of the interview.
Check it out here.
03. Failing to understand or speak English
Unless you meet the English exemption requirements,
which require you to be older than a certain age and be a green card holder for a certain amount of time.
you must have the interview in English without an interpreter.
In fact, the ability to understand and speak English is one of the requirements to pass the N-400 interview.
The immigration officer will test your ability by having small talk with you
or asking you questions related to the N-400 application.
Some might even ask you to explain some of the vocabulary on the application form.
If the immigration officer thinks your English is poor,
he or she may deny your application form,
so make sure to review your application form before the interview
and understand all of the questions on the application form.
Practice small talk with friends and family
or you can use these videos to practice.
Last but not least, we also offer live mock interviews on our website.
During our live mock interview, we will go over the application form with you,
just like the real interview
and provide feedback and suggestions to make sure you are fully prepared for this important moment.
I'll add a link in the video description.
03. Applying too early
When you meet all of the eligibility requirements,
you can file 90 calendar days before you complete your permanent resident requirement.
For marriage based, it's three years.
And for everyone else, it's five years with a few exceptions.
There is a USCIS early filing calculator online that you can use.
We'll share the link in the video description.
However, do not submit your application form before the 90 days
or your application form will be denied.
In addition, I've seen some applicants get denied when they apply 90 days exactly before their anniversary.
Just wait a few days after you're eligible.
So if the calculator tells you that you can apply April 4th, 2022,
wait until April 6th or 7th 2022 to apply.
You can always start gathering your documents and start filling out the online form.
You just need to make sure not to submit the application too soon.
For some tips for applying online, check out this video.
05. Missing your interview
You would be surprised how many applicants missed their interview.
Usually, USCIS will send you a notice about a month before your interview.
Unfortunately, our postal service is not too reliable from time to time.
So make sure you have an online account set up
even if you've applied by mail.
Check the "documents" tab on a regular basis because the same letter will show up there.
This is important especially if you're traveling abroad while you're waiting for your interview.
And if you happen to miss your interview,
call USCIS as soon as possible to reschedule a new interview.
06. Change of marital status during the process
This one is for applicants who are applying through marriage.
In order to qualify for the three-year marriage-based eligibility,
you have to be married and live with your U.S. citizen spouse throughout the process until the oath ceremony.
If you get separated or divorced before the oath ceremony,
you will no longer be eligible to apply through marriage
and you will need to withdraw your application
and apply under the five-year eligibility at a later point.
A lot of you asked if you can travel while your application is pending.
You can travel internationally before and even during your N-400 application process.
However, you need to be aware of two things.
Physical presence and continuous residence.
07. Not meeting the physical presence requirement
An applicant for naturalization is generally required to have been physically present in the United States
for at least half the time for which his or her continuous residence is required.
That means the total days for all of your international trips cannot be more than half of the statutory period.
This includes any trip over 24 hours to Canada and Mexico.
So if you're applying through marriage,
you need to be in the U.S. for at least 18 months in the last three years.
And if you're applying through the five-year eligibility,
you need to be in the U.S. for at least 30 months in the last five years.
08. Not meeting the continuous residence requirement
Continuous residence means that the applicant has maintained residence within the United States for a specified period of time.
If you apply through marriage that's the last three years,
otherwise for most applicants, it's the last five years.
Extended absences outside of the U.S. may disrupt an applicant's "continuous residence".
A general rule of thumb is that any trip abroad that is less than six months will not disrupt "continuous residence".
Sometimes, an applicant has a legitimate reason to stay out of the U.S. for an extended duration of time
such as taking care of a sick family member.
However, the burden of proof falls upon you, the applicant.
You have to show the immigration officer that during that time you still have strong ties to the U.S.
If you have any trips abroad for more than six months but less than a year,
you should have these documents to show that you did not abandon your residence.
This may include
tax return transcripts
documents or an affidavit to show that you didn't work in another country
documents to show that your immediate family continued to live in the U.S.
documents to show that you had a job in the U.S.
pay stubs
rental or mortgage payments
utility payments
or proof of car registration and insurance
And if you have any trip abroad that is longer than a year,
I would suggest you to wait until you meet the continuous residence requirement before applying.
09. Not registering for the Selective Service
This only applies to male applicants.
If you're a female, you don't need to worry about this.
Almost all men ages 18 to 25,
who are U.S. citizens or immigrants, legally or illegally, living in the U.S.,
are required to register for the Selective Service.
Immigrants must register within 30 days of arriving to the U.S.
Failure to register may get your application denied.
I went into a little bit more detail in this video of what you need to do if you didn't register for the Selective Service.
10. Lack of good moral character
The USCIS policy states
an applicant for naturalization must show that he or she has been and continues to be a person of good moral character.
In general, the applicant must show good moral character during the five-year period immediately preceding his or her application for naturalization
and up until the time of the oath of allegiance.
Conduct prior to the five-year period may also impact whether the applicant meets the requirement.
Some examples of lack of good moral character include
being a habitual drunkard
gambling illegally
driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
or involvement in a crime
If you have been arrested or have any criminal records,
it's a good idea to consult an immigration attorney before applying.
11. Failing to pay or file taxes
Filing and paying taxes is one of the indicators that show you have good moral character.
So it's important to make sure all of your tax filings are up to date
and you don't owe any taxes before your interview.
However, if you do owe taxes and don't have the ability to pay it off,
make sure to have an IRS payment plan in place
and bring the IRS payment plan and proof of payments to show that your account is up to date.
I went into a bit more detail in this video about all tax related questions.
12. Failing to pay child support or alimony
It's okay if you need to pay child support or alimony.
However, not paying support or alimony shows that you don't have good moral character
and will get your citizenship application denied.
So, make sure to bring supporting documents to show that you are making payments regularly
and your account is up to date.
13. Failing to submit evidence in a timely manner
Sometimes, the immigration officer may ask for additional documents after the interview.
This usually happens when you didn't bring enough documents to prove your eligibility.
You will receive the N-14 "Request for evidence" form in the mail.
The form, N-14, will explain exactly what documents you need
or information you must submit and where to submit them
The form will also let you know when you need to return the documents by,
usually within 30 days.
So, if you receive an N-14 notice,
make sure to send in your documents in a timely manner
and use delivery confirmation to make sure that they've received it.
14. Lying on your application form and during the interview
Again, this ties into good moral character.
Don't lie to the immigration officer no matter how small the lie is.
USCIS can actually revoke your citizenship
if they found out you lied in your application form even after you get your citizenship.
And if you made some mistakes in the application form,
mention the mistakes to the immigration officer during the interview
and bring supporting documents.
All right, as promised, here are the things that will not affect the approval of your citizenship application.
your religion or not having a religion.
speaking with an accent
traffic tickets as long as they don't involve alcohol, drugs, injury or lead to an arrest
unemployment
receiving public benefits from the government
expired green cards unless it's a conditional green card
expired passports or not having a passport
not having a state-issued driver's license or state ID.
Okay, that's it!
I hope this video helps you avoid some of the common mistakes
and helps you to pass your naturalization interview.
Make sure to check out these videos and I will see you next time.
Take care and good luck!