Filling Out the N-400

Who this is for: Green card holders who have confirmed they're eligible and are filling out the N-400 themselves, especially applicants born in mainland China who often go back to China, studied or worked in China, were Young Pioneers or Communist Youth League members, or aren't sure how to answer some yes/no questions.

For eligibility, fees and when to file, first read N-400 step by step. This guide covers only how to fill out the form and what to attach. Facts follow the USCIS website, last checked 2026-10-14; items marked ⚠️ change often. This is not legal advice; if you have arrests, long trips abroad, party or organization history, or tax issues, consult an immigration attorney before filing.

The key points first

• Form edition: 01/20/25 (at the bottom of each page; the header shows OMB approval through 02/28/2027). Paper filings must have all pages from the same edition or may be rejected. ⚠️ With the June 2026 fee proposal, USCIS has submitted a draft new N-400 (mainly changing the Part 10 reduced fee); once published, follow the edition on the N-400 page.
• Fees (checked 2026-10-14): $710 online, $760 paper, $380 reduced fee (paper only). ⚠️ See USCIS fees.
• The N-400 has 16 parts; Parts 15 and 16 are signed at the interview as the officer directs, so don't sign them when filing.
• The most common problem isn't "not knowing how to fill it out," it's "inconsistency": answers that don't match your earlier I-485/DS-260, tax returns, passport stamps or FBI fingerprint records.
• At your USCIS biometrics appointment you sign to confirm the form is "complete, true and correct"; at the interview the officer reviews it item by item, and you can correct errors on the spot, which is far better than the officer finding them.

1. Overview and timeline

Flow: Gather old passports, I-94 records, tax returns, and address and work timelines → fill out Parts 1–14 → check consistency against your earlier I-485 or DS-260 → attach documents (with English translations of Chinese ones) → file online or mail on paper (be sure to sign) → at biometrics, sign to confirm the content is true → at the interview the officer reviews each item and you can correct errors on the spot; Parts 15 and 16 are signed at the interview

2. Part by part (key questions)

Part 2: Name, date of birth, nationality

• Item 2, Other Names: the official instruction is to list "all names you have used since birth," including aliases, maiden names, nicknames, different spellings, and names used in previous immigration applications, entries or any law enforcement records. Common for Chinese applicants: an English name (such as Kevin Zhang), different pinyin spellings on passports and other documents, a changed surname after marriage, and reversed name order (surname first/given name first). Better to list more than miss one.
• Item 3, Name change (optional): you can request a legal name change when naturalizing (for example formally adding an English name). The change takes effect only at the oath; in some areas a name change requires a court oath ceremony, which may take longer (applicant reports). If you already changed your name through marriage, divorce or a court order, you don't need to request it again.
• Item 6, Date of birth: if you ever used another date of birth (for example your hukou and passport differ, or an earlier application used a different date), explain it in Part 14.
• Item 7, Date you became a permanent resident: use "Resident Since" on your green card.
• Items 8/9, Country of birth and nationality: generally China for mainland-born applicants; explain multiple nationalities in Part 14.
• Item 11: choose Yes only if you need an N-648 disability exception, and attach the N-648. Age + years exemptions from English (50/20, 55/15) are not checked here; see Taking the test in Chinese.
• Item 12, Social Security: choose Yes and consent to disclosure (12.c must also be Yes); after the oath SSA updates your status to citizen, saving you a trip to the Social Security office.

Part 4: Residence

• On the 5-year route list every address where you lived in the past 5 years; on the 3-year marriage route, the past 3 years.
• Dates must be continuous with no gaps, with start and end dates (month/day/year) for each.
• Include places abroad: for example, if you went back to China for a few months to care for parents and stayed at their home, that's also a residence.
• Addresses should match your driver's license, tax returns, bank statements and earlier applications. USCIS uses Parts 4, 7 and 8 to decide whether you meet continuous residence, physical presence and the 3-month state residence requirements.
• If your mailing and physical addresses differ, list them separately; without a valid mailing address, mail may be undeliverable.

Part 5: Marital history

• The number of times you've been married includes your current marriage, previous marriages, marriages in the U.S. and in other countries, annulled marriages, civil marriages, and marriages by custom or religion that weren't registered. Marrying the same person twice counts as two.
• On the 3-year marriage route, fill in your spouse's information, when your spouse became a citizen, and how many times your spouse has been married.
• Documents: your current marriage certificate; divorce decrees or death certificates for your and your spouse's previous marriages. Chinese documents need complete English translations.

Part 6: Children

• The 01/20/25 edition asks only about children under 18, including those born in the U.S. or abroad, not living with you, stepchildren, adopted children and children born out of wedlock.
• For children who don't live with you, give their address in Part 14 and say whether you support them. The government is explicit: willfully failing to support children during the statutory period may prevent you from showing good moral character; if a court ordered support, attach proof of payment.

Part 7: Employment and schools

• List all full- or part-time jobs and schools in the past 5 years (3 years on the marriage route), starting with the most recent.
• No gaps: write "unemployed" for time without work, "retired" if retired, "self-employed" if you ran your own business. If you took online classes or stayed home with children, write it as it was (for example unemployed, explained in Part 14).
• Include work abroad; the government specifically calls out work for a foreign government (including military, police or intelligence agencies), which must be fully listed.
• Dates and titles should broadly match your tax records and earlier applications; be ready to explain any differences.

Part 8: Time outside the U.S. (where Chinese applicants most often go wrong)

• List every trip outside the U.S. in the past 5 years (3 years on the marriage route), most recent first; day trips of less than 24 hours don't count. Driving to Canada or Mexico or taking a cruise counts.
• For each trip: the date you left, the date you returned, and the countries visited.
• How to find them all:
  1. Entry and exit stamps in all your new and old passports (Chinese exit-entry stamps in your Chinese passport also help you remember dates);
  2. CBP's I-94 website can show 10 years of travel history; the government says it's only a helper tool, not a legal record, and may be incomplete, so cross-check with tickets, boarding passes and credit card statements;
  3. Airline bookings and itineraries in your email.
• Counting days: USCIS counts both the departure day and the return day as days in the U.S. For any single trip over 6 months, attach evidence that continuous residence wasn't broken (see section 3).
• If you travel after filing, tell the officer at the interview.

Part 9: Yes/no questions (one by one)

The instructions say questions containing "EVER" mean your conduct anywhere in the world at any time in your life. For Yes answers (questions 1–14 and others), explain in Part 14.

Questions 1–2: Claiming citizenship, voting. Answer truthfully if you ever claimed to be a U.S. citizen on any document, or registered or voted in a federal, state or local election. Some people were registered as voters by the DMV "along the way" when getting a driver's license (applicant reports); if this happened, answer according to the facts with an explanation and cancellation record, and ask a lawyer first. If you voted lawfully only in a local election that allows non-citizens to vote, you can answer No.

Questions 3–4: Taxes. Question 4 asks whether since becoming a permanent resident you've filed federal, state or local taxes as a "nonresident alien," or didn't file because you considered yourself a nonresident. Yes may lead to a presumption that you abandoned permanent residence. If your filing status in the year you got the card was complicated (such as a dual-status year), confirm with a tax professional and a lawyer.

Question 5.a: Communist or totalitarian parties (important). The question asks whether you have ever been a member of, participated in, or been "in any way associated with" any Communist or totalitarian party.

• Party members should answer Yes truthfully and explain in Part 14 when you joined and left (or your current status).
• Legal consequences: under the USCIS Policy Manual, membership in or association with the Communist Party or another totalitarian party from 10 years before filing through the oath generally bars naturalization; statutory exceptions include: involuntary membership; not knowing its nature and leaving upon learning it; ending before age 16; ending more than 10 years before filing; membership by operation of law; and membership for employment, food rations or other necessities of life. The burden of proof is on the applicant.
• Young Pioneers and Communist Youth League: the form and instructions don't name these organizations or say whether they count as "associated with." 2026 forum discussions are clearly divided: some answered No and had the officer change it to Yes after being asked at the interview; others answered Yes and were asked to change it to No; offices and officers vary. The fairly consistent consensus: be consistent with all your earlier applications (I-485, DS-260 and so on), or proactively explain any difference; explain when you joined and left if asked at the interview; and see a lawyer if unsure. Young Pioneers usually leave by about 14 or 15, generally within "ended before age 16"; under the League charter, membership isn't kept after 28, which is more complicated and best discussed with a lawyer.
• Don't conceal. Being found to have concealed or misrepresented is far worse than truthful disclosure and can lead to denaturalization later.

Questions 6–14: Violence, persecution, armed groups, weapons training. Chinese applicants should note two:

• 8.a: whether you have served in, helped or participated in any military or police unit;
• 12: whether you have received weapons training, paramilitary training or other military-type training. Whether high school or university student military training in China counts isn't addressed on the form; many choose to answer Yes and explain in Part 14 "mandatory school student military training, dates, number of days, content." If unsure, ask a lawyer; don't guess.

Questions 15–16: Criminal and law enforcement records. 15.b asks whether you have ever been arrested, cited, detained or charged by any law enforcement officer.

• The form explicitly says to report even records that were sealed or expunged, or that someone told you "don't need to be reported"; also those before 18 and abroad.
• Traffic tickets: literally, getting a ticket is being "cited," and many lawyers advise listing them. The instructions say traffic incidents need documents only if they involved alcohol or drugs, resulted in arrest, or seriously injured someone. The online claim that "fines under $500 don't need to be listed" comes from older instructions; the 01/20/25 instructions no longer say this.
• For arrests or convictions, attach arrest reports, court dispositions, and proof of completing sentences or probation; bring originals or certified copies to the interview.

Questions 17–21: prostitution, drugs, bigamy, marriage for immigration, smuggling people, illegal gambling, failing to pay child support, benefits fraud, lying to government officials, removal proceedings and so on; answer truthfully.

Question 22: Selective Service. It asks whether you are a man who lived in the U.S. at any time between ages 18 and 26. If during that time you were always a lawful nonimmigrant (for example always F-1 or H-1B), don't answer Yes. If you were required to register and didn't: under 26, register first, then file; at 26–31 (26–29 on the marriage route), explain in Part 14 and attach a Selective Service status information letter; over 31 (over 29 on the marriage route) you don't need to attach it.

Questions 30–37: Titles of nobility, the Constitution and the Oath of Allegiance. If you answer No to questions about the Constitution, the oath, or bearing arms/noncombatant service/civilian service when required, see the instructions on religious or conscientious objection.

Words officers often ask you to explain at the interview: claim, owe, overdue, totalitarian, genocide, torture, militia, habitual drunkard, prostitution, gambling, alimony, deported. Being able to explain the meaning in simple English is enough.

Parts 10–14

• Part 10, Reduced fee: if paying in full, answer question 1 No and go to Part 11. The $380 reduced fee is paper only with proof of household income; to request a full waiver file the I-912 and skip Part 10.
• Part 11, Signature: must be handwritten; a typed or stamped name doesn't count; unsigned forms are always rejected. Online filers sign electronically as the system prompts.
• Part 12, Interpreter: if someone read or explained the questions to you in Chinese, that person signs Part 12; if the same person interpreted and prepared the form, they sign both Parts 12 and 13.
• Part 14, Additional information: write your name and A-number at the top of each page, note the page, part and item number, and sign and date each page.

Check it once more when you're done

• Address and work periods are continuous with no gaps
• Trips abroad checked against the I-94 and passport stamps
• All names and spellings you've used are listed
• Every Part 9 question is answered, with explanations in Part 14 for Yes answers
• Consistent with your earlier green card application (I-485 or DS-260) and tax information
• Paper filers signed, and all pages are the same edition
• Keep a full copy and reread it before the interview

3. What to attach

General rules:

• Send clear copies, not originals (unless asked); unrequested originals may be destroyed by USCIS.
• Every Chinese document needs a complete English translation, with the translator certifying the translation is complete and accurate and that they're competent to translate, including signature, name, date and contact information.
• Bring the originals of everything you copied to the interview.

4. How the officer reviews your N-400 at the interview

At the interview the officer swears you in, then asks in their own words about your addresses, jobs, marriage, trips abroad, the Part 9 yes/no questions and any changes since filing. Your answers and any corrections on the spot are recorded, and at the end you sign Part 15 confirming the content "including corrections" is true.

Common follow-up topics: number and length of trips abroad (especially for those who spend long periods caring for parents in China), employment gaps, party and organization history, tickets and arrests, and tax filing status. See Naturalization interview day.

📱 To practice the N-400 yes/no questions in English, try the N-400 mock interview in the PathToUS Citizenship Test app.

5. What applicants from China should know

1. Consistency matters most: compare item by item with your copy of the I-485 (or DS-260). If you don't have a copy, consider requesting your immigration file from USCIS through FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) before deciding how to answer and explain.
2. Name spellings: if your hukou booklet, ID card, passport, green card and driver's license use different spellings, list them all in Part 2 and bring documents that explain them to the interview.
3. Trips abroad: if you go back to China often, compile a table from your passport stamps trip by trip with the number of days; prepare evidence in advance for any single trip near or over 6 months.
4. Party, League, Young Pioneers, military training: be truthful and consistent with earlier applications; ask a lawyer if unsure (see Part 9).
5. Work in China: if you worked in government, state-owned enterprises, the military or public security, list the employer and position clearly and be ready for follow-up questions.
6. Translating Chinese documents: marriage certificates, divorce papers and judgments need complete translations, including seals and remarks.

6. What applicants report (since 2025, individual experiences, not guarantees)

Common themes from 2025–2026 public posts on 1point3acres, PTT, Wenxuecity, Reddit r/USCIS, VisaJourney and others:

• The Youth League/Young Pioneers question was the most discussed topic of 2026, with polarized views: some who answered No were asked at the interview about Young Pioneers and League membership and had it changed to Yes; others who answered Yes had it mentioned in a sentence. Most replies stress "be consistent with what you wrote on the I-485"; inconsistency is the real danger.
• Whether to list speeding tickets: many ask, with all kinds of answers (some quoting the old "$500" rule). By the current form's wording, getting a ticket is being "cited," so listing it truthfully without attaching documents is the safer approach.
• Employment gaps: some who went about a year without a job (online classes, rest, visiting family in China) worried about appearing not to be in the U.S., and wondered whether to attach that year's tax records, credit card statements, mortgage and utility bills. Per the official instructions, such documents mainly target single trips over 6 months; write "unemployed" for the gap in Part 7 and bring tax transcripts to the interview just in case.
• Trips over 6 months: one person stayed abroad about 9 months for illness and debated the "90 days early" rule versus the "4 years and 1 day" rule; in such cases ask a lawyer before filing.
• Report changes after filing: in 2026 one person mentioned at the interview a parking ticket received after filing; the officer just joked about it and it didn't affect the outcome. Short trips you forgot can be added on the spot when reminded.
• Stricter review in 2026: Chinese-language media reported longer waits and higher denial rates; community service workers advise organizing your addresses, jobs and travel for the past 5 years and bringing all your old and new passports.

7. FAQ

Q1: I've traveled abroad dozens of times in 5 years and the form doesn't have room. What do I do? Continue in Part 14 (or attach extra sheets), with your name and A-number on each page, noting Part 8, signed and dated.

Q2: Do I list day trips to Mexico/Canada? Trips of under 24 hours, no; over 24 hours, yes.

Q3: I'm retired/unemployed. How do I fill out Part 7? Write "retired" or "unemployed," with continuous dates; don't leave it blank.

Q4: I divorced and remarried the same person. How many marriages is that? Two.

Q5: I answered a question wrong on my old I-485. What do I do on the N-400? Answer the N-400 according to the facts and be ready to explain the difference; for party membership, crimes or immigration fraud, consult a lawyer first.

Q6: Do I attach the ticket and payment record for traffic tickets? The instructions require documents only for traffic incidents involving alcohol/drugs, arrest or serious injury; list ordinary tickets truthfully.

Q7: I'm a man who came on F-1, switched to H-1B and got a green card. How do I answer the Selective Service question? If you were in lawful nonimmigrant status the entire time from 18 to 26, don't answer Yes to 22.a. If you got the green card before 26, you had to register from the time you got it.

Q8: I found a mistake after finishing the form. Can I fix it? Before filing, just fix it. After filing, tell the officer at the interview and correct it there; for serious issues (such as an omitted arrest), consult a lawyer first.

Q9: My parents explained the questions to me in Chinese. Do I need to list that? Yes. Whoever interpreted for you signs Part 12; if they also prepared the form, they sign Part 13 too.

Q10: Is the online form the same as the paper one? The questions are the same. Online filing costs $710 and lets you upload documents and evidence in your account; reduced fees and waivers are paper only.

Q11: Should I leave items that don't apply blank? No; write "N/A" (not applicable) or "None" as the instructions say. Online filing follows the system's prompts.

Official links (last checked 2026-10-14)

• N-400 form, edition 01/20/25, filing methods, checklist: https://www.uscis.gov/n-400
• N-400 form PDF: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/n-400.pdf
• N-400 instructions PDF: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/n-400instr.pdf
• Fee schedule G-1055: https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055
• Policy Manual on attachment to the Constitution (party membership and exceptions): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-d-chapter-7
• The naturalization interview and test: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/the-naturalization-interview-and-test
• CBP I-94 travel history: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/
• Selective Service (immigrants): www.sss.gov/register/immigrants/
• USCIS FOIA requests: https://www.uscis.gov/records/request-records-through-the-freedom-of-information-act-or-privacy-act
• Processing times: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/

Related guides: N-400 step by step · Naturalization interview day · Taking the test in Chinese · Civics test · English reading and writing test · If you did not pass · Preparing Chinese documents

Disclaimer: This guide is general information only and not legal advice. Form editions, fees and policies change often; follow the latest from USCIS, and consult a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative about your case.