Citizenship Interview / The N-400 review and Part 9 questions

The N-400 review: every question the officer asks about your US citizenship application

The officer already has your answers. The interview is about whether you say the same thing out loud.

Updated August 2026

Most of the naturalization interview is the officer reading your own application back to you and checking that your spoken answers match what you filed. They ask about your addresses, your work, your marriages, your children and every trip you took, then they work through Part 9, the block of yes-or-no questions about arrests, taxes, false statements and affiliations. Since August 2025, USCIS assesses good moral character as a whole rather than as a checklist, weighing positive factors such as paying taxes, steady work, caring for family and community involvement alongside anything negative.

This is interview practice, not legal or immigration advice. Merra does not review your application and does not predict whether you will be approved.

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The process

  1. 1The officer puts you under oath.
  2. 2They review your identity, address history, employment and marital history against the form.
  3. 3They ask how many days you have spent outside the United States and how long your longest trip was.
  4. 4They work through the Part 9 questions.
  5. 5Any "yes" is followed up with what happened, when, and whether you have documents.

Why the officer re-asks what you already filed

Two things at once: checking your spoken answers match your written ones, and testing your English while you answer.

The absence questions and the six-month rule

A single absence of six months or more raises a presumption that you broke continuous residence. An absence of a year or more generally breaks it outright. The officer asks how many days you spent outside the United States and how long your longest trip was — know both numbers before you sit down.

What EVER means

Worldwide, at any time, including matters that were dismissed or expunged. The Part 9 “EVER” questions are not limited to the United States or to your recent past.

Good moral character since August 2025

USCIS now weighs positive factors — paying taxes, steady work, caring for family and community involvement — alongside anything negative, rather than only checking for disqualifying conduct. It is worth bringing evidence of your positives.

Real interview questions

Grouped by area — drawn from USCIS materials.

Identity and history

“Have you ever used any other names?”
“Has your address changed since you filed?”

Absences

“How many trips outside the United States have you taken in the last five years?”
“What was your longest trip, and how many days were you gone?”

Taxes

“Have you ever failed to file a required federal, state or local tax return?”
“Do you owe any overdue taxes?”

The EVER questions

“Have you EVER been arrested, cited or detained by any law enforcement officer, anywhere in the world, for any reason?”
“Have you ever committed a crime for which you were not arrested?”

Honesty

“Have you ever given false or misleading information to a US official?”
“Have you ever claimed to be a US citizen?”
“Have you ever registered to vote in any US election?”

Affiliations

“Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party or any totalitarian party?”

Support

“Are you legally required to support children who do not live with you, and are those payments up to date?”

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FAQs

Why does the officer ask what I already wrote down?

To check that your spoken answers match, and to test your English while doing it.

What does EVER mean on the form?

Anywhere in the world, at any time, including matters that were dismissed or expunged.

Is one "yes" fatal?

Usually not. Hiding something the officer can already see is far more damaging.

How long can I have been outside the US?

A single absence of six months or more raises a presumption that you broke continuous residence; a year or more generally breaks it.

What changed in August 2025?

Officers now weigh positive factors alongside negative ones, so it is worth bringing evidence of taxes paid, steady work and community involvement.

Official information

For the official application process, forms and requirements.

uscis.gov: Form N-400 (PDF) ↗uscis.gov: Restoring a Good Moral Character Evaluation Standard, policy memo (PDF) ↗uscis.gov: Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part E, Chapter 2 ↗

More citizenship interview guides

Citizenship interview hubThe civics test, asked out loudThe English test: speaking, reading, writing

Merra is an independent interview-practice platform and is not affiliated with USCIS or the US government. Merra’s feedback is advisory only — it is not a guarantee of any interview or application outcome, and it is not legal or immigration advice.

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