!Backlog of paperwork and other factors lead to USCIS delays

Let's say you attended your naturalization interview several months ago, at which the USCIS officer told me that you passed and would get a swearing-in ceremony appointment by mail (the formal name for which is Form N-445). But nothing has come yet. You are likely worried that it is taking too long, and might also be eager to obtain U.S. citizenship for specific reasons. For example, you might wish to to petition your parents for a green card.) Can you do anything about this long wait?

In This Article

What's a Normal USCIS Delay in Scheduling an Oath Ceremony?

Delays of several weeks—and even months—between when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducts the interview for naturalized U.S. citizenship and when the applicant is scheduled for the swearing-in ceremony are frequently an issue. The agency is persistently underfunded and backlogged, and the problem has gotten bigger as the Trump administration has focused resources on deportation and increased vetting. Still, some delays are clearly outside the norm.

Unfortunately, unlike with some types of applications, USCIS doesn't publish average times between interviews and oath ceremonies.

What Causes These USCIS Delays?

The most likely cause of a delay outside normal processing times would be one or more of these:

  • Security clearance holdups. Despite the approval, your name still might not have received final clearance by the FBI, which needs to finish running a security check before USCIS can officially grant U.S. citizenship. This is especially likely to cause delays if you have a common name or if you share a name with a person considered to be a security threat.
  • Overbooked oath venues. USCIS or the federal courts might be backed up in fitting people into their oath ceremony schedule. In some parts of the United States, only the federal courts conduct these ceremonies; in others, the courts have passed this authority onto USCIS, in which case the scheduling is usually faster (and sometimes same-day), because they can hold it in a USCIS office. But, for example, if you requested a name change on your N-400, which only the federal court has the legal power to do, and you live in a region where most oath ceremonies are conducted by USCIS, that might account for the delay right there.
  • You're from a country subject to a travel ban. USCIS has put a pause on decisions for foreign nationals that it considers to come from one of the many countries it considers "high risk." In some reported cases, it has even issued oath ceremony notices and then pulled people out of line when they arrived. For background, see Who Is Blocked From U.S. Entry by 2025 Travel Ban.
  • New information came in about you. USCIS might have received or discovered new information after your interview, causing it to have to reevaluate your eligibility. It could even have something to do with your underlying eligibility for a green card, such as an allegation that you committed marriage fraud.
  • Something got lost or mislaid. USCIS is a big bureaucracy, and mistakes and lost files happen. Also, the letter with your swearing-in notice could have been lost in the mail. (We’re assuming you didn’t change your address in the days since your interview; if you have, definitely contact USCIS and explain the situation.)

In some situations, USCIS might follow up by sending you a Request for Evidence, specifying more documents that you need to provide before your case can be approved. For guidance on that, see How to Handle a Request for Evidence (RFE) From USCIS.

How to Follow Up Regarding a Delay in Scheduling Your Naturalization Oath Ceremony

As for what to do, here are the steps most likely to help:

  • Check your case status online. USCIS offers an online tool for entering a case number and seeing where your case is at. But don't expect much detail; you're likely to be told only that your case is "pending."
  • Get in touch with USCIS's Contact Center. Be prepared, however, for a long process of navigating a voice-automated system. You're not likely to reach a live person on the first try, but at best might arrange for a call-back. Start early in the morning, on a day when you're likely to be easily reached. If the USCIS officer with whom you eventually speak can't handle the matter from a distance, they might make an appointment for you to visit the nearest USCIS office in person. When you call or visit, be ready with your green card and copies of your naturalization-related paperwork, in particular any letter of recommended approval that the USCIS officer gave you at the end of your interview.
  • Send a letter to the USCIS office that handled your interview. Include your A-number on the letter, and a copy of the recommendation letter given to you by the USCIS officer there.
  • Consult an attorney. Following up on delays and lost files is an all-too regular part of every immigration attorney’s work. An experienced immigration attorney will know what the typical wait times are in your region and how to make inquiries that will get a response.

A final note: As you alluded to, you cannot petition for your foreign-born parents or other family members to receive U.S. lawful permanent residence until you yourself are sworn in as a U.S. citizen and have received a citizenship certificate as proof of your new status. Also see You're Not a Naturalized U.S. Citizen Until You Take the Oath! for tips on maintaining eligibility until the swearing-in.