Speaker A
Hello everyone. We are sharing the full steps of the naturalization interview, so you know what to expect on the day of your interview.
Complete walkthrough of the US citizenship naturalization interview process with sample questions and applicant responses.
Key Takeaways
- Applicants should be prepared to answer detailed questions about their background and application.
- The civics, reading, and writing tests are key components of the naturalization interview.
- Honesty and full disclosure of any changes since application submission are critical.
- Understanding the interview flow can reduce applicant anxiety and improve performance.
- Applicants must bring all required documents and be ready for identity verification procedures.
What the video covers
- The video provides a full step-by-step simulation of a US citizenship naturalization interview.
- It covers initial security checks, identity verification, and document presentation.
- The civics test is demonstrated with sample questions and correct answers.
- English reading and writing tests are shown with example sentences.
- The interviewer reviews the applicant’s N-400 application in detail, including personal information and employment history.
- The applicant discusses marital status, previous marriages, and children.
- Travel history and tax filing questions are included to demonstrate typical interview content.
- The video highlights the importance of honesty and accuracy during the interview.
- Small talk and procedural instructions are shown to help applicants feel more comfortable.
- The video ends with a review of the application and final questions from the applicant.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Security Check
- 02:09Waiting Area and Initial Verification
- 03:12Applicant Identification and Oath
- 04:43Small Talk and Identity Verification
- 05:46Civics Test Questions
- 07:52English Reading and Writing Tests
- 09:05N-400 Application Review - Personal Information
- 11:34Employment History and Updates
- 14:03Marital Status and Family Information
- 17:32Travel History and Tax Filing Questions
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
The applicant also has two changes since submitting the application that must be disclosed during the interview.
Speaker A
The officer carefully reviewed the application and asked detailed questions about the information provided. This is very helpful practice to help you prepare well for your US citizenship interview. Let's get started.
Speaker A
Good morning. Can I help you? Good morning. I have an appointment for my naturalization interview.
Speaker A
May I see your appointment notice? Yes. Here it is. Do you have any weapons or sharp objects with you today?
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No, I don't have anything like that. Please place your belongings such as your phone, keys, and wallet in the tray.
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Now walk through the metal detector. Okay, you're cleared to proceed. Take the elevator on your right.
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When you reach the second floor, follow the signs for naturalization check-in. Okay. Thank you very much.
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Good morning. Good morning. Your appointment notice and ID, please. What is your full legal name?
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My name is Patricia Marisol Kakongo. Let me pull up your case. All right. Your interview officer will call your name shortly.
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Please have a seat in the waiting area. Make sure your phone is off and all documents are ready.
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Okay, thank you. Patricia Kakwanga. Good morning. Good morning. My name is Officer Johnson. I'll be conducting your naturalization interview today.
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Please follow me. How are you doing today? I am doing well, thank you. A little nervous, but I am okay.
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How are you? I'm all right. Thank you. Please come in and have a seat.
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Show me your appointment notice, your ID, and green card. Can you state your full legal name?
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My full legal name is Patricia Marisol Kakwanga. And your date of birth? My date of birth is August 14th, 1976.
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What is your social security number? 876-473-285. Okay. Please stand up and raise your right hand.
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Do you swear that the information you provide today will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
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Yes, I do. You may be seated. Thank you. How was traffic this morning? Traffic wasn't too bad. We left early just in case.
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What time did you leave home? I wanted to make sure I arrive on time.
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So, I left around 7:30 this morning. Is this your first time visiting this USCIS office?
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Yes, it is. Was it easy to find this office? Yes, it was. I used GPS and followed the directions on my appointment notice.
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Before we begin your interview, I'm going to take your photo. Please sit up straight and look directly at the camera.
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Now, I need to capture your fingerprints. Please place your right index finger on the scanner.
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Now, place your left index finger on the scanner. We have completed the identity verification process.
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The first part of today's interview will be the civics test. Please answer each question to the best of your ability.
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The words life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are in what founding document? Declaration of Independence.
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Name one power of the US Congress. Writes laws. Who elects members of the House of Representatives?
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Citizens from their district. What is the highest court in the United States? Supreme Court.
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There are four amendments to the US Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
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Citizens 18 and older can vote. Why is it important to pay federal taxes? Required by law.
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The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the US Constitution. Name one of the writers.
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John Jay. What was the Great Depression? Longest economic recession in modern history. What did the Civil Rights Movement do?
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Fought to end racial discrimination. Why does the flag have 50 stars? Because there are 50 states.
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What is Veterans Day? A holiday to honor people in the military. How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?
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Five. You passed the civics test. Now, we will move on to the English reading test.
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Please read the sentence on the screen out loud. Who was the president during the Civil War in the US?
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We will continue with the writing test. I will say a sentence and you must write exactly what I say, okay?
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Yes. Abraham Lincoln was the president during the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln was the president during the Civil War.
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Let me know when you are finished. I'm done. All right. Let me review it.
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You passed both the reading and writing test. We will continue with the review of your N-400 application.
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Are you filing for naturalization under the general 5-year provision? Yes. Who sponsored you for your green card?
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My brother sponsored me. When exactly did you become a lawful permanent resident? I became a lawful permanent resident on March 7, 2018.
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What is your last name? My last name is Marisol Cacuango. What is your current legal name as shown on your green card?
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My legal name is Patricia Marisol Cacuango. Have you ever used any other names or variations?
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No. I have only used my legal name. You are requesting a name change on your application.
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Do you still want to change your name? Yes. You want to change your first name to Mary. Correct?
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Yes, that's correct. What is your current address? 8212 West Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33322.
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How long have you lived there? I have lived here since March 20, 2024. Before Fort Lauderdale, where exactly did you live and for how long?
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Before that, I lived at 9896 Red Eagle Drive, Orlando, Florida 32825 from August 6, 2022 to March 19, 2024.
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Where did you live before Orlando? Before Orlando, I lived at 1369 Northwest 30th Street, Miami, Florida 33142.
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All right. Are you currently employed? Yes. I'm currently working. What do you do? I work as housekeeping staff at a Hilton Hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
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I changed my job after I submitted my application. I need to update that on your application.
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When did you start this job? I started on February 8, 2026. So, you worked at the Holiday Inn in Fort Lauderdale from March 17, 2024 until you started working at Hilton?
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Yes. Before that, you worked at Marriott Orlando from August 15, 2022 to March 12, 2024.
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Is that correct? Yes. That's correct. What did you do before that? I worked at Miami Resort Hotel.
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What was your position? I worked as cleaning staff. Have you worked anywhere else in the last 5 years?
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No. That's the only place I've worked in the last 5 years. Okay. What is your current marital status?
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I'm currently married. How many times have you been married? I have been married two times.
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What is your current husband's full legal name? His name is John Michael Zambrano. What is your current husband's immigration status?
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He is a US citizen. Approximately when did he become a US citizen? He became a US citizen in November 2025.
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When did you marry your current husband? We got married on April 26, 2006. What country were you married in?
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We were married in Ecuador. Do you currently live together? Yes, we live together in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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What is your husband's date of birth? His date of birth is June 18, 1972.
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How many times has your husband been married? He has been married once. And that marriage is to you, correct?
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Yes. That's correct. Now let's discuss your previous marriage. What was the name of your first husband?
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His name was Carlos Rodriguez. When did that marriage end? The marriage ended on September 4th, 2003.
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Do you have your divorce decree with you? Here it is. Do you have any children from your first marriage?
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Yes. I have one son from my first marriage. What is his name? His name is Daniel Rodriguez.
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Where does he live now? He lives in Miami with his girlfriend. Do you and your current husband have children together?
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Yes. We have two daughters together. What are their dates of birth? My older daughter was born on July 8th, 2008.
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And my younger daughter was born on September 26, 2011. Do both of your daughters live with you now?
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Yes, they live with me. Now, I would like to review your travel history outside the United States.
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Have you traveled outside the United States in the last 5 years? Yes.
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Have you taken any trips since you filed your application? Yes, I took a trip after I filed my application.
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What were the exact dates of this trip? I left the US on February 18th, 2026 and returned on February 26th, 2026.
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Where did you go on that trip? I traveled to Brazil. What was the purpose of this trip?
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It was a short vacation with my family. I'm going to update that trip in the system.
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The system is running a bit slow today. Please hold on a second. Okay. On your first trip, you traveled to Ecuador correct?
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Yes, I traveled to Ecuador on the first trip. When did you leave the United States?
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I left on June 4th, 2022. And when did you return? I returned on June 12th, 2022.
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Just to confirm, this trip lasted 9 days total? Yes, that is correct. On your second trip, you went again to Ecuador.
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You left on April 17th, 2024 and returned on April 28th, 2024. Is everything correct?
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Yes. Everything is correct. Have you ever stayed outside the United States for more than 6 months at any time?
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No. Have you taken any other trips in the last 5 years? No. That's all.
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All right. Do you file your taxes on time every year? Yes. I always file my taxes on time.
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Do you currently owe any overdue taxes or have a payment plan with the IRS?
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No. Have you ever registered to vote or voted in any federal, state, or local election in the United States?
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No. Have you ever ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in torture?
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No. Have you ever been a member of, involved in, or in any way associated with any communist or totalitarian party anywhere in the world?
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No. What does totalitarian party mean? Government controls everything and people have no power. Since you became a lawful permanent resident, have you decided not to file a tax return because you considered yourself to be a non-resident?
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No. Have you ever ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in causing harm or suffering to any person because of their race, religion, national origin, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion?
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No. Have you ever gambled illegally or received income from illegal gambling? No. Do you know what gamble means?
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To play a game for money. Have you ever ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in injuring or trying to injure any person intentionally and severely?
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No. Have you ever committed, agreed to commit, asked someone else to commit, helped commit, or tried to commit a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?
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No. Have you ever claimed to be a US citizen in writing or any other way?
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No. Have you ever been married to more than one person at the same time?
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No. Have you ever received any weapons training, paramilitary training, or other military type training?
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No. What is paramilitary training? Learning how to fight in combat. Have you ever ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in killing or trying to kill any person?
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No. Have you ever served in, been a member of, assisted, or participated in any armed group, for example, paramilitary unit, self-defense unit, vigilante unit, rebel group, or guerrilla group?
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No. Have you ever made any misrepresentation to obtain any public benefit in the United States?
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No. Have you ever served in the U.S. armed forces? No. Have you ever ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in not letting someone practice their religion?
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No. Have you ever been arrested, cited, detained, or confined by any law enforcement officer, military official in the U.S. or elsewhere, or immigration official for any reason, or been charged with a crime or offense?
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No. Have you ever ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in genocide?
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No. Have you ever sold, provided, or transported weapons or assisted any person in selling, providing, or transporting weapons which you knew or believed would be used against another person?
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No. Do you support the Constitution and form of government of the United States? Yes.
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If the law requires it, are you willing to bear arms on behalf of the United States?
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Yes. Have you ever ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in any kind of sexual contact or activity with any person who did not consent or was unable to consent or was being forced or
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threatened by you or by someone else? No. Have you ever manufactured, cultivated, produced distributed dispensed sold or smuggled any controlled substances, illegal drugs, narcotics, or drug paraphernalia in violation of any law or regulation of a US state, the United
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States, or a foreign country? No. Have you ever served in, been a member of, assisted, or participated in any military or police unit?
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No. Have you ever helped anyone to enter or tried to enter the United States illegally?
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No. Have you ever used any person under 15 years of age to take part in hostilities or attempted or worked with others to do so?
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No. Have you ever given any US government officials any information or documentation that was false, fraudulent, or misleading?
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No. Have you ever married someone in order to obtain an immigration benefit? No. Have you ever been removed or deported from the United States?
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No. Are you willing to take the full oath of allegiance to the United States?
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Yes. If the law requires it, are you willing to perform work of national importance under civilian direction?
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Yes. Do you understand the full oath of allegiance to the United States? Yes. If the law requires it, are you willing to perform non-combatant services in the US armed forces?
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Yes. Have you ever lied to any US government officials to gain entry or admission into the United States or to gain immigration benefits while in the United States?
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No. Are you unable to take the oath of allegiance because of a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment?
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No. All right. We are now at the final part of your interview. Your application has been updated including your new job and travel history.
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Please take a moment to review it and let me know if everything is correct.
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Yes, it all looks correct. Great. Please sign here on the screen. Next, I need your second signature confirming your willingness to take the oath of allegiance.
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This is an important step in becoming a US citizen. Please review it again and sign at the bottom if everything looks good to you.
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I'm happy to inform you that your application has been recommended for approval. Thank you so much.
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Your case will now move to the final stage, which is the oath ceremony. USCIS will send you a notice by mail with your oath ceremony schedule. At that ceremony, you will take the oath of allegiance and officially become a
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United States citizen. Do you have any questions? No. I don't have any questions. Thank you.
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You're welcome. Congratulations. Thank you.
Topics:US citizenship interviewnaturalization processN-400 applicationcivics testEnglish testUSCIS interviewnaturalization interview preparationimmigration interviewUS citizenship 2026applicant questions
