What Is the Oath of Allegiance Ceremony?

The Oath of Allegiance ceremony is the final step in becoming a U.S. citizen and it is mandatory that every applicant attends.

The Oath of Allegiance to the United States is a solemn declaration required of every individual seeking American citizenship which they must recite during an official ceremony. This tradition of taking the Oath dates back to the late 1700s.

After you take the oath of allegiance, you will receive your certificate of naturalization which is evidence that you are a U.S. citizen.

In this guide we will cover these questions:

• What does the Oath of Allegiance mean?
• What happens at the Oath of Allegiance ceremony?
• Before you attend the ceremony
• What if I can’t attend the Oath of Allegiance ceremony on the day USCIS has scheduled?
• What should you wear to the Oath of Allegiance ceremony?
• What do I need to bring to the Oath of Allegiance ceremony?
• Should the documents for my Oath of Allegiance ceremony be translated into English?
• Should you memorize the words for the Oath of Allegiance?
• During the Ceremony
• After the Oath of Allegiance ceremony

What does the Oath of Allegiance mean?

The current Oath of Allegiance was written in 1906, and a lot of the words used in it sound old because it was written a long time ago. The meaning of the oath can be simplified by saying that you are committing yourself to do these three things as a U.S. citizen:

1. Support and protect the U.S. Constitution and laws of the United States from all threats, both foreign and domestic. In this case, “foreign” and “domestic” simply means, any threat at all whether it’s inside the United States, or from another country.
2. Completely give up any loyalty to foreign rulers, governments, or nations which you belonged to before.
3. Join in military service for the United States when required by law whether that is combative or non-combative service.

What happens at the Oath of Allegiance ceremony?

In this guide, we will discuss what happens before, during, and after the Oath of Allegiance ceremony so you know what to expect.

Before you attend the ceremony

After the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves your N-400, Application for Naturalization, the next step will be to attend the Oath of Allegiance ceremony.

In some cases, your application for naturalization may be approved on the same day as the citizenship interview and civics test. If the application is approved on this day there’s a chance that your Oath of Allegiance ceremony will happen at some time on the same day. If this happens, you will receive specific instructions about when and where to go for the oath.

If not, the USCIS will schedule you for a naturalization ceremony in about 2-6- weeks. The USCIS will send you Form N-445, Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony to tell you the date, time, and address of the oath ceremony you will attend.

In most cases the Oath of Allegiance ceremony will be held at the same location where your citizenship interview was conducted.

What if I can’t attend the Oath of Allegiance ceremony on the day USCIS has scheduled?

If you can’t attend your Oath of Allegiance ceremony on the day scheduled by USCIS in Form N-445, you must return Form N-445 to the USCIS field office where your citizenship interview happened.

Along with Form N-445, you must include a letter requesting a new day for your Oath of Allegiance ceremony. In this letter, you must also explain why you cannot attend the originally scheduled Oath of Allegiance ceremony.

If USCIS reschedules your Oath of Allegiance ceremony and you fail to attend more than once, your citizenship may be denied.

What should you wear to the Oath of Allegiance ceremony?

USCIS considers the Oath of Allegiance ceremony to be a meaningful event. Because of this, you should dress in a way to show respect for the event. Specifically, no one is permitted to wear jeans, shorts, or flip flops.

What do I need to bring to the Oath of Allegiance ceremony?

1. Permanent Resident Card (also known as your green card or Form I-551). However, you will not be required to bring your Permanent resident card in the following 2 situations:
   • If you can provide proof that your Permanent Resident Card has been lost and you tried to recover it, but could not.
   • Due to your military service, you did not yet become a permanent resident.
2. An additional government ID besides your Permanent Resident Card
   • Acceptable IDs include: Driver’s license, Passport, and State Identification card.
3. Your appointment letter (Form N-445): If your Oath ceremony is scheduled for a date after your interview day, please fill out the questionnaire on the back of this letter before you attend the ceremony.These yes-or-no questions pertain to any changes that may have occurred since your interview. Before your ceremony, a USCIS officer will examine your responses to the questionnaire to confirm that none of the changes impact your eligibility for citizenship. Here are a few sample questions:
   • Have you married, or been widowed, separated or divorced?
   • Have you traveled outside the United States?
   • Have you knowingly committed any crime or offense, for which you have not been arrested?
4. Travel documents issued by USCIS
   • Reentry Permit or Refugee Travel Document.
5. Do I need other documents to prepare for the Oath of Allegiance ceremony?
   • There are no other documents you need to prepare for the Oath of Allegiance ceremony. Unlike the Civics and English tests, you don’t need to study. You’ll simply be able to read the text for the Oath of Allegiance.

Should the documents for my Oath of Allegiance ceremony be translated into English?

At this point in your naturalization process, most of your documentation will already be accepted by USCIS. But, if any of your documents are in a language other than English, USCIS requires you to submit an English translation.To ensure that nothing prevents you from successfully reciting the Oath of Allegiance, it helps to use a certified translation. Some of the documents required for your citizenship application include:

• Criminal records
• Birth certificates
• Military service records
• Marriage certificates
• Divorce decrees
• Academic transcripts

You can order a certified translation of these documents from our online store:

Order Your Certified Translation

Get your Certified Translation

Should you memorize the words for the Oath of Allegiance?

No, you do not need to memorize the Oath of Allegiance. You will either receive the full text of the Oath in written form, or it will be visible somewhere in the room so you can read it.

During the Ceremony

When you arrive

The USCIS advises all applicants to arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled Oath of Allegiance ceremony. The USCIS also advises applicants not to bring extra people to the ceremony unless it is necessary. This is because they schedule multiple applicants to take the Oath and the USCIS field office will likely be crowded.

When you reach the USCIS field office, a USCIS officer will handle your check-in process. They will begin by reviewing your Form N-445, Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony to ensure that you haven’t answered “yes” to any questions on the back of the form.

They will then verify your eligibility to participate in the Oath of Allegiance ceremony. This essentially means that you have successfully completed your citizenship interview, passed the English and Civics test, and provided all the necessary information and documents.

If the USCIS officer confirms your eligibility, you will surrender your green card and any travel documents issued by USCIS, such as the ones mentioned in the previous section.

Don’t worry about having your green card or travel documents taken away! They will be replaced with your naturalization certificate.

Materials you will receive:

• U.S. Citizenship Welcome Packet which includes the President’s Congratulatory Letter
• American Flag
• Citizen’s Almanac
• Pocket-size Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States

The actual ceremony

As much as it is possible, the USCIS tries to always follow the same naturalization ceremony program all across the United States.

Firstly, organizations offering voter registration will introduce themselves so candidates will know how to register to vote. Then, a series of videos, songs, and speeches will be given highlighting the importance of the event. Also, a designated official will name a list of countries represented by the naturalization candidates present at the ceremony.

Second, the Oath of Allegiance will be administered. You will be required to recite the Oath out loud. USCIS provides the full Oath of Allegiance text on their website for anyone who would like to review it.

• Note: If any candidate cannot recite the Oath of Allegiance because of any type of impairment, they can file for an Oath of Allegiance Waiver or by providing a written request and a written evaluation made by an authorized medical professional.

Thirdly, some additional multimedia presentations will be given, and a designated speaker may deliver a keynote speech. Then everyone will recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

After the Oath of Allegiance ceremony

After taking the Oath of Allegiance, you will receive your Certificate of Naturalization, Form N-550. It’s smart to closely review your certificate of naturalization to check for errors before leaving the USCIS field office.

This certificate is your official proof of citizenship, so be sure to keep it in a safe place. Replacing lost certificates can be expensive and requires filing Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document, and paying a fee of $555.

After the ceremony you might want to take care of other important aspects of being a U.S. citizen. These include:

• Applying for a Social Security Card
• Applying for a Passport (this application is included in the welcome packet)
• Registering to vote (which you may be able to do on-site at the Oath ceremony.)

Author: Aaron Randolph | LinkedIn