Form N-400 is the application a lawful permanent resident files with USCIS to become a United States citizen. We prepare the full N-400 package at your direction — biographic data, 5-year address and employment history, marital and children information, Part 9 moral- character questions, any optional legal name change, and the supporting evidence packet.
Who can apply on Form N-400
Most permanent residents qualify under INA §316 after five years of continuous residence as an LPR — three years if you obtained your green card through marriage to a U.S. citizen who has been a citizen for the same three-year period under INA §319. There are special faster paths for U.S. military members (INA §328, §329).
Other core eligibility: physical presence in the U.S. for at least half of the qualifying period, continuous residence without breaks longer than six months (or one year, with documented justification), good moral character during the qualifying period, basic English reading/writing/speaking and U.S. civics knowledge (with limited age/disability exemptions), and attachment to the principles of the Constitution.
What our N-400 intake covers
Our wizard mirrors the USCIS form part-by-part:
- Part 1-2 — applicant name, eligibility basis, optional name change request
- Part 3 — accommodations request, disability provisions
- Part 4 — Social Security questions, USCIS online account number
- Part 5 — biographic information (ethnicity, race, height, weight, eye and hair color)
- Part 6 — current and prior addresses for the past five years
- Part 7 — employment, school, and unemployment for the past five years
- Part 8 — time outside the United States during the qualifying period (every trip, with destination and days away)
- Part 9 — marital history, current spouse, prior spouses, children — including how children get reported even if they are U.S. citizens or live elsewhere
- Part 10 — moral character questions (criminal history, immigration history, tax compliance, child support, military, group affiliations, Constitution support)
- Part 11 — additional information / explanation pages
- Part 12-13 — applicant statement, interpreter, preparer
Trips, address gaps, and the 5-year rule
Two of the most common N-400 problems are (1) gaps in the 5-year address or employment history and (2) trips outside the U.S. that were longer than 180 days. Our wizard flags both: if your residence entries do not cover the full five years before today, we warn you while still letting you continue — many applicants live in furnished housing or move often and a gap is not automatically disqualifying, but USCIS will ask about it at interview. Similarly, every trip outside the U.S. (departure date, return date, country) must appear on Part 8 even if the trip was short.
What we do not do
As a California LDA and Immigration Consultant we do not give legal advice. If your moral-character history includes arrests, criminal convictions, immigration violations, or unpaid child support / taxes — we still prepare the N-400, but we will recommend you also consult a licensed immigration attorney before filing. Some naturalization denials can lead to removal, so do not file a borderline case without legal review.
Statutory authority: Immigration and Nationality Act §316 (general naturalization), §319 (spouse of U.S. citizen), §319(b) (overseas employment exception), §328-§329 (military naturalization), §312 (English and civics), §337 (oath of allegiance); 8 U.S.C. §1427 et seq.; USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 (Citizenship and Naturalization). California scope: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§22440-22448 (Immigration Consultant Act).