New (much longer) N-400 released

older version accepted until May 5th

This morning USCIS finally released an updated version of the N-400. You can read about the details here.

You can download the new form here. The form has more than doubled in length to 21 pages. According to USCIS the new information included in the new form includes:

• Additional questions to conform with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) of 2004 and Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007. The additional information is important for USCIS to make a complete and informed determination of an applicant’s eligibility for U.S. citizenship. The questions relate not only to concerns surrounding good moral character but also to issues relating to the security of the United States.

• Clearer and more comprehensive instructions now highlight general eligibility requirements and help customers understand the naturalization application process by providing specific instructions on how to complete each part of the application.

• 2D barcode technology at the bottom of each page that greatly enhances USCIS’s ability to more efficiently scan data for direct input to USCIS systems. This feature results in improved data quality, efficiency in processing, and overall integrity of the naturalization program. 

USCIS will continue to accept the old version of the N-400 for 90 days until May 5, 2014. 

Washington Post story on the change: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/us-citizenship-process-just-got-harderwith-queries-on-ties-to-terror-and-militias/2014/02/04/1b67c28e-8dd2-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.html

similar story from California Public Radio: http://www.scpr.org/blogs/multiamerican/2014/02/04/15769/a-longer-application-form-for-hopeful-u-s-citizens/