How long does the N-400 take in 2026?

For civilians, USCIS reported a median of 9.5 months from filing to decision for April to June 2026. For military applicants it was 2.6 months. The August 2026 average across all N-400s was 12.7 months.

How long after biometrics is the N-400 interview?

USCIS publishes no fixed gap. It schedules the interview once the preliminary work on your case, including background checks, is complete, and mails you a notice with the date. Your office's backlog is in the field-office table on this page.

How long after the interview is the oath ceremony?

It can be the same day if a ceremony is available. If not, USCIS mails a notice (Form N-445) with the date, time and place. USCIS does not publish a national wait for this step, so we show no number.

Can I file my N-400 before I reach five years as a permanent resident?

USCIS says you may file up to 90 calendar days before you complete the continuous residence requirement. That applies to people with 5 years as a permanent resident, or 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen. Check the N-400 page for the exact rules.

What happens if I fail the English or civics test?

You get two attempts. If you fail a part at the first interview, USCIS retests only that part between 60 and 90 days after the interview.

Why is my N-400 taking longer than 9.5 months?

A median means about half of decided cases took longer. Offices also differ a lot: the table shows how many N-400s each one holds against how many it decided. If you are outside normal processing time, you can send a case inquiry on uscis.gov.

N-400 Processing Time: 9.5 Months Median (Nov 2026)

What happens after you file an N-400

The N-400 is the application for U.S. citizenship through naturalization. After you file it online or by mail, USCIS runs through these steps (source: USCIS, 10 Steps to Naturalization):

Receipt notice. USCIS sends a receipt notice with your receipt number. You use it to check your case status.
Biometrics, if needed. If USCIS asks for fingerprints, it mails an appointment notice. See what the status Case Was Updated To Show Fingerprints Were Taken means.
Interview and test. USCIS schedules the interview once the preliminary work on your case is done. An officer asks about your application and gives you an English test and a civics test, unless you qualify for an exception.
Decision. USCIS can grant, continue or deny the application. A continued case needs more evidence, or a retest.
Oath ceremony. You become a citizen only when you take the Oath of Allegiance. Sometimes the ceremony is the same day as the interview. Otherwise USCIS mails Form N-445 with the date.

Each step changes your status message in Case Status Online. The case status messages index explains what the common ones mean.

The tests, in short

USCIS describes the tests on its interview and test page:

English. You speak with the officer, read one of three sentences aloud and write one of three sentences.
Civics, filed on or after October 20, 2025. The 2025 test asks 20 questions from a list of 128. You need 12 right.
Civics, filed before October 20, 2025. The 2008 test asks up to 10 questions from a list of 100. You need 6 right.

If you fail a part, USCIS retests that part 60 to 90 days after the first interview.

The decision: notice, then the 120-day clock

At the end of the interview, the officer gives you a notice of results, Form N-652. The USCIS Policy Manual says USCIS has 120 days from the initial interview to decide. After that, an applicant may ask a federal district court to review the case. That is a legal step, so talk to a licensed attorney or an accredited representative before you take it.

Median or average: which number is yours?

USCIS publishes two different measures. They are not the same, so we show both.

Measure	Applicants	Months	Period
Median	Civilian	9.5	Apr–Jun 2026
Median	Military	2.6	Apr–Jun 2026
Average	All N-400	12.7	Aug 2026

The median is the middle case decided during the quarter: half took less, half took more. The August average is pulled up by cases that waited a long time. Both describe cases USCIS has already finished, not a promise about yours.

The pending pile is large. For April to June 2026, USCIS counted 727,371 civilian N-400s pending, with 140,179 received, 54,974 approved and 12,591 denied. In August 2026, 813,453 N-400s were pending, and 513,462 of them had waited more than six months.

Backlog at the 20 busiest field offices

USCIS publishes counts per field office, not a processing time per office. This table lists the 20 offices with the most civilian N-400s pending for April to June 2026. The last column is our rough indicator: pending cases divided by the cases decided (approved plus denied) in that quarter. It is not a USCIS processing time. A high number means an office holds many more cases than it decided in the quarter. It does not tell you how long your case will take.

Office	Pending	Decided	Pending ÷ decided
Houston, TX	30,883	4,858	6.4
Dallas, TX	28,373	3,333	8.5
Chicago, IL	22,685	829	27.4
San Jose, CA	20,860	400	52.1
San Francisco, CA	18,595	395	47.1
Seattle, WA	18,142	586	31.0
Philadelphia, PA	17,760	1,474	12.0
Newark, NJ	17,670	1,640	10.8
San Antonio, TX	17,382	1,029	16.9
Boston, MA	17,310	1,216	14.2
Atlanta, GA	17,164	1,294	13.3
New York, NY	17,028	3,016	5.6
Baltimore, MD	16,447	368	44.7
Tampa, FL	16,281	1,345	12.1
Sacramento, CA	15,845	634	25.0
Brooklyn, NY	15,627	3,230	4.8
Washington, DC	14,388	1,665	8.6
Santa Ana, CA	14,011	1,095	12.8
Lawrence, MA	13,973	1,230	11.4
Orlando, FL	13,934	1,206	11.6

To see the processing time your own office reports today, use the USCIS processing times tool.

When to file

You may file the N-400 up to 90 calendar days before you complete the continuous residence requirement, if you qualify as a permanent resident of 5 years, or of 3 years while married to a U.S. citizen. The N-400 page lists the full rules, and USCIS offers a naturalization eligibility tool.

If your case is taking longer than normal

Check your status with your receipt number in Case Status Online. The YourCaseStatus app (coming soon) will alert you when your status changes.
Compare your filing date with the time your office reports on the USCIS processing times tool.
Send a case inquiry through e-Request if your case is outside normal processing time.
Keep your address current. USCIS mails your notices. USCIS says failing to appear more than once for your ceremony may lead to a denial. Update your address on the USCIS change of address page.
Ask for an expedite only if your situation fits the criteria on the expedite requests page. USCIS decides case by case.
Contact USCIS through the USCIS Contact Center.

Related pages: the I-485 processing time if you are still waiting for a green card, and the I-765 processing time for work permits.

N-400 processing time