U.S. Citizenship Document Checklist: What to File With Form N-400
Naturalization is the final step from green card to citizenship, filed on Form N-400. The application itself is manageable, but the supporting documents are where cases stall. Here is a practical 2026 checklist of what to submit with N-400, what to bring to your interview, and the items that most often trigger a Request for Evidence. Confirm specifics against the official N-400 instructions before you file.
1. A copy of your green card (both sides)
Every N-400 starts with a copy of the front and back of your permanent resident card. It establishes your status and your A-number. If your card is lost, you must still document your permanent residence — a missing or expired card does not stop you from naturalizing, but you should address it in the application.
2. Proof of marital status (if applying on the 3-year rule)
If you are filing after three years based on marriage to a U.S. citizen, include your marriage certificate, proof of your spouse's U.S. citizenship, and evidence you have been living in marital union for the full three years (joint documents). If you are on the standard five-year rule, you generally do not need marriage evidence, but you must still list your marital history accurately.
3. Evidence of continuous residence and physical presence
You do not attach a full travel log to the form, but you must accurately report every trip outside the U.S. and be ready to prove you met the continuous residence and physical presence requirements. Keep passports, entry/exit stamps, and travel records organized — long absences are a leading cause of denials and RFEs.
4. Tax records and proof of good moral character
USCIS assesses "good moral character," usually over the statutory period. Be prepared to show you have filed taxes, and if you owe back taxes, that you have a payment arrangement. If you have any arrests or citations, you must disclose them and include certified court dispositions — even for dismissed or expunged matters. Hiding them is far more damaging than the underlying issue.
5. Selective Service registration (if applicable)
Men who lived in the U.S. as permanent residents between ages 18 and 26 are generally required to have registered with the Selective Service. If this applies to you, include your registration number or, if you did not register, a status information letter and an explanation. This is a frequently overlooked requirement.
6. Documents for any name change
If your name has changed, or differs across your documents, include the marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order that explains it. Consistency between your green card, passport, and N-400 matters; unexplained discrepancies generate RFEs and interview questions.
7. Fee payment or fee waiver request
Include the N-400 filing fee, or a Form I-912 fee waiver (or reduced-fee request) with supporting financial documentation if you qualify. Confirm the current fee on USCIS.gov, since amounts change. Filing without the correct fee or a proper waiver request causes immediate rejection.
8. What to bring to the interview (not the filing)
Several items are brought to the interview rather than mailed with the application: your green card and all passports, your state ID, any updated tax or travel records, and originals of documents you copied. Bring evidence of anything that changed since filing — a new trip, a new address, a new child, or a new legal matter.
The Bottom Line
A strong N-400 package is built on a few essentials: a copy of your green card, accurate travel and residence records, tax compliance, full disclosure of any legal history with certified dispositions, marriage evidence if you file on the three-year rule, and the correct fee or a fee waiver. Assemble these before you file, keep originals for the interview, and confirm details against the current N-400 instructions. For anything in your history that worries you — especially arrests or long absences — talk to a licensed immigration attorney before applying.