US Citizenship for Ukrainians: N-400, Requirements, the 2025 Test and Dual Citizenship with Ukraine

US citizenship through naturalization is obtained by green card holders who file Form N-400 and meet the requirements of the law.

• Age 18 or older.
• A green card for at least 5 years, or 3 years if during this whole time you have been married to and living with a US citizen.
• Continuous residence and physical presence in the US for at least half of that period: 30 months for the 5-year path, 18 for the 3-year path.
• At least 3 months of residence in the state or USCIS district where you file.
• Good moral character.
• Knowledge of English and the basics of US history and government (the test).
• Attachment to the principles of the Constitution and the oath.

The full list and details are on the N-400 form page.

Only after you get a green card and live with it for 5 years (or 3 years if married to a US citizen).

Neither parole nor TPS leads to citizenship on its own, and time on them does not count toward the N-400 period. The count starts from the date on your green card ("Resident Since").

There is currently no separate green card program for Ukrainians. The Ukrainian Adjustment Act bill (H.R. 3104) has been sitting in committee with no movement since 04/30/2025. The real paths are: through family (marriage to a citizen, adult citizen children), employment (EB-3, NIW, etc.), the DV lottery or asylum. What fits you is explained on the "How to Move from Parole or TPS to a Green Card" page.

Yes, you can file the N-400 90 calendar days before the required period of continuous residence (5 or 3 years) is complete.

Count from the "Resident Since" date on your green card. If you file even one day before the allowed window, the application will be rejected and the fee will not be refunded. Before filing, check one more thing: that on the filing date you have already lived at least 3 months in your state or USCIS district.

The N-400 receipt notice automatically extends your green card's validity by 2 years from the date shown on the card. So if your card is about to expire, you often do not need to file a separate I-90.

You can, but long trips can break your continuous residence, and with it your eligibility to file the N-400.

• A trip of more than 6 months creates a presumption that continuous residence has been broken. You can rebut it with evidence of ties to the US: work, housing, taxes, family.
• A trip of more than 1 year breaks continuous residence, and the count starts over.
• In addition, you must spend at least half of the period in the US in total (30 or 18 months).

On the N-400, you must list all trips during the required period. Compare them with your I-94 and the stamps in your passport. After filing, do not plan long trips, because you might miss biometrics or the interview.

As of 10/15/2026, the N-400 fee is $710 online or $760 by mail; biometrics are included in this amount.

• Reduced fee of $380: if your household income does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty guidelines. Income documents are attached to the application.
• Full waiver: Form I-912 (Request for Fee Waiver) or a written request with evidence.
• Both the reduced fee and the waiver are available only with paper filing: you cannot file this way online.
• Military members filing under INA 328 or 329 do not pay the fee.

Before paying, check the amount against the G-1055 fee schedule: applications with the wrong amount are returned.

Create an online account at my.uscis.gov, choose the N-400, fill out the form, upload documents and pay $710 by card or from a bank account.

1. Prepare your green card (both sides), a list of all addresses, jobs and schools for the last 5 years, and all trips abroad with dates.
2. Prepare information about marriages, children and any arrests or fines, even closed cases. You will be asked about them directly.
3. If you are filing based on marriage, add proof of your spouse's citizenship and your marriage certificate.
4. Before submitting, check your answers: everything must match your green card case and your tax returns.

You cannot file online with a request for a reduced fee or a fee waiver: those applications go only by mail. The current edition of the form is 01/20/25.

After filing you will get a receipt, then biometrics, then an interview with the test, and after approval, the oath ceremony where you become a citizen.

1. Receipt notice (I-797C) with a receipt number. You check your status with it in your online account.
2. Biometrics: fingerprints and a photo at an ASC, unless USCIS waives them.
3. Interview: under oath, an officer reviews your N-400 answers and gives the English and civics test.
4. Decision. It can be an approval, a continuance (for example, a request for documents or a retest) or a denial.
5. Oath of Allegiance. You become a citizen at the ceremony itself, when you receive your Certificate of Naturalization.

After the oath, you can apply for a US passport and register to vote. You turn in your green card at the ceremony.

If you filed the N-400 on or after 10/20/2025, you take the 2025 test: there are 128 questions on the list, up to 20 are asked orally, and you need 12 correct answers to pass.

• The test ends as soon as you get 12 correct or 9 incorrect answers.
• Those who filed the N-400 before 10/20/2025 take the old 2008 test: up to 10 questions out of 100, and you need 6 correct.
• The version of the test is determined by your filing date, not your interview date.
• If you are 65+ and have had a green card for 20+ years, you will get 10 questions from a special list of 20 (marked with an asterisk), and you can take the test in your native language.

Official questions, audio and flash cards are on the USCIS Study for the Test page. Check the answers that depend on your state (governor, senators) before the interview.

English is tested in three parts: reading (read aloud 1 of 3 sentences), writing (write 1 of 3 sentences) and speaking, which the officer evaluates throughout the whole interview.

The following people are exempt from the English test:

• 50/20: on the filing date you are 50+ and have had a green card for 20 years;
• 55/15: on the filing date you are 55+ and have had a green card for 15 years.

These people still take the civics test. If you cannot take the tests because of a physical, mental or developmental disability, a doctor or licensed clinical psychologist fills out Form N-648. Details are on the Exceptions and Accommodations page.

You get a second attempt: you retake the part you failed (English or civics) 60–90 days after the first interview.

You get two attempts in total, and this applies both to the tests and to answering questions about your application in English. If you fail the second time too, you will be denied, and to try again you will have to file a new N-400 and pay the fee.

Tip: practice not only answering the 128 questions, but also understanding the officer's questions about your N-400 application in English, because this part of the interview is what most often causes difficulties. Americanization can help you prepare for the interview at a consultation.

These are personal investigations that USCIS resumed for citizenship applicants by a memo of 08/22/2025: an officer may question neighbors, employers and coworkers.

The law (INA 335(a)) allowed such checks before, but for years they were almost never done. The goal is to verify your place of residence, good moral character and the truthfulness of your answers on the N-400.

Also in August 2025, USCIS changed its approach to good moral character. Now they assess not only the absence of violations but also positive contributions: work, paying taxes, family, education. This has been confirmed in substance, but we have not officially verified the exact document number (according to lawyers, PM-602-0188 of 08/15/2025).

What to do: live at the address listed on your N-400, pay taxes, update your address on time and do not exaggerate anything in your application.

For an adult N-400 applicant, generally no: almost everyone has an interview with an officer.

• The English test is waived under the 50/20 and 55/15 rules, and both tests are waived with the N-648 medical form. You will still have an interview.
• Children under 18 who have a green card and live with a US citizen parent (in that parent's legal and physical custody) become citizens automatically, without an N-400 or a test. Proof of this is obtained separately: Form N-600 or a US passport.
• Children born in the US are citizens from birth (see the question below).

If someone offers "citizenship without an interview" for money, that is a sign of fraud.

A naturalized citizen can be stripped of citizenship (denaturalization) through federal court if it was obtained illegally or through concealment or lies.

Typical grounds:

• false answers or hidden facts on the N-400 or in the earlier green card case (arrests, marriages, other names, taxes);
• the person did not actually meet the requirements at the time of naturalization, for example had violations that rule out good moral character.

Ordinary debts, divorce or moving abroad after naturalization are not grounds. The best protection is honest and complete answers on all forms and information that matches your tax returns. If you have had arrests or criminal cases in the past, contact a licensed immigration attorney before filing the N-400.

Yes, since 01/16/2026 Ukrainian law allows it: the US is on the list of countries with which Ukraine recognizes multiple citizenship.

• Law No. 4502-IX of 06/18/2025 took effect on 01/16/2026. Now you lose Ukrainian citizenship only if you voluntarily acquire the citizenship of an aggressor state or of a country that is not on the Cabinet of Ministers' list.
• Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1412 of 11/05/2025 (as amended on 06/30/2026) includes the United States of America, as well as Canada, Poland, Germany and other EU countries.
• Acquiring US citizenship on your own application (N-400) is exactly the kind of multiple citizenship recognized by Article 5-1 of the law.

US law does not require you to formally renounce Ukrainian citizenship, although the text of the oath includes renouncing allegiance to other states. Check how these rules apply to your specific situation with the Consulate of Ukraine.

A child born in the US is a US citizen, and this also applies to children of Ukrainians on parole or TPS.

On 06/30/2026, the US Supreme Court in Trump v. Barbara struck down executive order EO 14160. The Court confirmed that under the 14th Amendment, children born in the US to parents who are in the country unlawfully or temporarily are also citizens.

On 08/06/2026, a new executive order, EO 14418, was issued. It concerns the children of "birth tourists," foreign government employees and "alien enemies," and it is already being challenged in court. By its content, it does not describe Ukrainians living in the US on parole or TPS, but follow the news.

Get a state birth certificate for your child, and then a US passport. The child's citizenship does not give the parents status: the child can file for a green card for the parents only after turning 21.

Yes, military members have a faster path to citizenship. But to enlist, you usually already need a green card.

• INA 328: at least 1 year of honorable service at any time. You need a green card at the time of the interview.
• INA 329: service during periods of hostilities, including from 09/11/2001 to the present. A green card is not required if you were physically present in the US when you enlisted. There are no residence period requirements.
• No N-400 fee is paid in these cases. Your command must certify Form N-426.

Under the general rule of the law (10 U.S.C. §504), citizens and green card holders enlist in the US military. So this path is usually not available to a person on parole or TPS. Check with a recruiter and on the USCIS Naturalization Through Military Service page.

Citizenship gives more rights and protection, so if you meet the requirements, lawyers usually advise not to put off the N-400.

• Voting in federal elections and eligibility for federal jobs that require citizenship.
• A US passport, so you can live abroad as long as you like without risking your status.
• No risk of deportation for crimes for which a green card holder can be removed. Citizenship can be taken away only through court, for fraud during naturalization.
• Broader rights for your family: you can file for your parents (once you are 21), brothers and sisters, and there is no line for a husband or wife.
• You do not need to renew the card with an I-90 every 10 years or carry it with you as proof of status.

A green card remains a permanent status, but you can lose it through long trips or criminal cases.