October 2026 N-400 Processing Times by Field Office: 10–16 Months
How long a naturalization application (N-400) takes from filing to decision at 18 field offices with large Chinese communities, fastest first. Data from USCIS, updated monthly.
October 2026 at a glance
- New York City is fastest at 10 months.
- San Jose is slowest at 16 months.
- The median across the 18 offices is 13 months.
N-400 processing times by field office (months)
How to read these numbers
Each bar is the time within which 80% of N-400s at that office were decided over the past six months, counted from the day USCIS received the application. Half of applicants usually finish sooner.
Your N-400 is handled by the field office for your address. If you move after filing, the case transfers to your new office and may speed up or slow down. Update your address on the USCIS website within 10 days of moving.
After the interview you still wait for the oath ceremony: some offices swear people in the same day, others take weeks to more than three months, and that wait is not in these numbers.
If you meet the residence requirement, you can file up to 90 days before reaching 5 years (3 years if married to a citizen). See the naturalization process.
Common questions
Which office is mine?
It depends on your address and is printed on your receipt and interview notices; you can also look it up by ZIP code on the USCIS website.
What if my case is past the posted time?
After the case inquiry date on your receipt you can submit an inquiry on the USCIS website. If there is no decision 120 days after your interview, you can ask a federal district court to act; a lawyer usually writes to USCIS first.
Which civics test will I take?
Applications filed on or after 20 Oct 2025 take the 2025 test (up to 20 of 128 questions; 12 correct to pass); earlier filings take the 2008 test. See the civics test guide.
How do I prepare for the interview?
Review every answer on your N-400 and practice English reading, writing and civics; see the naturalization interview.
Related policies
| Policy | Status | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed N-400 fee increase | Proposed | Proposed 2026-06-23 | Would raise the fee to $1,330 on paper or $1,280 online and end fee reductions and waivers; no final rule yet, so $760/$710 still applies. |
Real experiences
N-400: posted times are still growing; interview to oath takes weeks to over three months
- In September, posted times at many offices grew by another half month to a month.
- Many who filed in January to March 2026 (including in the Los Angeles area) still have no interview.
- Interview to oath ranges from the same day to more than three months; one applicant approved on the spot was told to expect an oath within two to three weeks and was still waiting after 70+ days.
- Applications filed on or after 20 Oct 2025 take the 2025 civics test (up to 20 of 128 questions; 12 correct to pass).
Processing times are a guide: cases filed the same month can move very differently
USCIS service centers shift work between locations, so I-130s and I-140s filed around the same time may be approved in a few months or still be pending past the posted time. Once your case passes the posted time and its case inquiry date, you can submit an inquiry on the USCIS website.
Forum: Visa Bulletin & timelines →From the forum
Related guides
Practice your naturalization interview
PathToUS Citizenship: an officer asks about your own N-400 with follow-ups, you answer civics out loud with AI grading, and practice the official reading and writing vocabulary.