Updated November 7, 2026

Military naturalization and Form N-426: citizenship through US service

Form N-426 (Request for Certification of Military or Naval Service) is the form currently serving US military members submit with Form N-400 to verify honorable service under INA 328 or INA 329. Separated veterans do not file Form N-426 and instead submit a photocopy of DD Form 214, NGB Form 22, or other discharge paperwork.

According to the USCIS Policy Manual, USCIS charges $0 for Form N-400 applications filed under INA 328 or INA 329, and has naturalized more than 187,000 service members since 2002.

What is Form N-426 and who needs it?

Form N-426 is the document naturalization applicants use to have the military verify their honorable active-duty or reserve service. According to the USCIS Policy Manual (Volume 12, Part I, Chapter 5), only applicants who are currently serving in the US armed forces and applying under Section 328 or Section 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) are required to submit Form N-426.

If you have already separated or been discharged from the military when you file Form N-400, do not submit Form N-426. Instead, submit a photocopy of your DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), NGB Form 22 (National Guard Report of Separation and Record of Service), or another discharge document for every period of service. Your character of service is typically listed on the Member-4 page of DD Form 214 or in Block 24 of NGB Form 22. Applicants filing under a non-military rule do not need Form N-426, even with prior service.

Check the edition date at the bottom of the page before your command signs. Starting June 1, 2026, USCIS accepts only the 03/13/26 edition of Form N-426. Until then, USCIS also accepts the 03/09/23 edition. Every page must come from the same edition with the page numbers and edition date visible, and the form must be signed or USCIS will reject it.

INA 328 vs. INA 329: which military naturalization path applies to you?

The Immigration and Nationality Act gives service members and veterans two paths to US citizenship: INA 328 (1 year of peacetime service) and INA 329 (service during designated periods of hostilities).

Because Presidential Executive Order 13269 (signed July 3, 2002) designated the period beginning September 11, 2001 to the present as a period of hostilities, anyone serving honorably on or after September 11, 2001 can apply under INA 329 until the President issues a new Executive Order ending that designation.

The designated periods of hostilities for INA 329 are April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918 (World War I), September 1, 1939 to December 31, 1946 (World War II), June 25, 1950 to July 1, 1955 (Korean Conflict), February 28, 1961 to October 15, 1978 (Vietnam Hostilities), August 2, 1990 to April 11, 1991 (Persian Gulf Conflict), and September 11, 2001 to the present (War on Terrorism).

Comparison of military naturalization requirements under INA 328 and INA 329 (USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12, Part I)

Honorable service and the August 1, 2024 uncharacterized discharge rule

Both INA 328 and INA 329 require honorable service in the US armed forces and, if you have separated, a separation under honorable conditions. International cadets attending US military academies are generally considered to be serving in their home country's military and do not count as having served in the US armed forces.

Out of the six discharge characterizations authorized by the military, only Honorable and General (Under Honorable Conditions) currently meet the standard of under honorable conditions for new separations. On August 1, 2024, Department of Defense Instruction 1332.14 was updated to treat entry-level separations as a distinct category apart from honorable and general discharges. As a result, USCIS policy states that only uncharacterized discharges issued on or before July 31, 2024 qualify as under honorable conditions for naturalization. Uncharacterized discharges issued on or after August 1, 2024 do not qualify, except for certain class members covered by the September 22, 2022 Calixto v. U.S. Department of the Army settlement agreement.

Be aware that citizenship granted under INA 328 or INA 329 can be revoked under INA 328(f) or INA 329(c) if you separate from the US armed forces under other than honorable conditions before completing a total of 5 years of honorable service.

Military discharge characterizations for naturalization (USCIS Policy Manual Vol. 12, Part I, Ch. 2 and 3)

How to get Form N-426 certified and file Form N-400 (step-by-step checklist)

USCIS cannot adjudicate a military naturalization application for a currently serving member without a properly completed and certified Form N-426. Most military installations have a designated USCIS liaison (often in the community service center, family liaison office, or Judge Advocate General office) to help you assemble your packet.

Work through this 6-step checklist written by our team from the USCIS Policy Manual and Form N-400 filing instructions:

• Step 1: Download the 03/13/26 edition of Form N-426. Fill out your personal and service history sections, and sign the form yourself.
• Step 2: Route Form N-426 through your chain of command or installation liaison for certification. Only a military officer authorized under Department of Defense and branch policy may certify that you are serving honorably. Military recruiters are never permitted to certify Form N-426.
• Step 3: Check the signature date. The certifying officer must complete and sign Form N-426 no more than 6 months before you submit Form N-400 to USCIS (the only exception is for applicants who enlisted in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve through the MAVNI program before October 13, 2017).
• Step 4: Complete Form N-400 (01/20/25 edition) and check the box for qualifying military service. Attach your certified Form N-426 (if currently serving) or copies of your DD Form 214 / NGB Form 22 for all periods of service (if separated), plus copies of military orders if applicable.
• Step 5: Submit your packet online through your USCIS online account, or mail a paper packet to USCIS, P.O. Box 4446, Chicago, IL 60680-4446. Clip Form G-1145 to the front page if you want a text or email acceptance alert.
• Step 6: Complete biometrics if needed. Under the Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act, USCIS uses fingerprints from your military enlistment or a past immigration filing when available. You can also walk into a US Application Support Center (ASC) before or after filing Form N-400 with your A-Number and unexpired military ID, Delayed Entry Program ID, or discharge papers. If stationed abroad, you may submit two FD-258 fingerprint cards and two passport-style photos taken by military police, DHS officials, or a US embassy or consulate.

Fee exemptions and how much military applicants save

Under INA 328(b) and INA 329(b), USCIS charges $0 for Form N-400 applications filed under INA 328 or INA 329, and $0 to submit Form N-426.

Standard civilian applicants pay $760 to file Form N-400 on paper or $710 to file online. By our calculation from the USCIS Form N-400 fee schedule, the military fee exemption saves qualifying service members and veterans $710 on an online filing or $760 on a paper filing, with no Form I-912 fee waiver paperwork required.

Qualifying military members and veterans also pay $0 on three related filings:

• Form N-336 (Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings): $0 if your naturalization application filed under INA 328 or INA 329 is denied.
• Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship): $0 for current and former alien service members.
• Form I-131 (Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records): $131 when filed concurrently with a military Form N-400 by a separated veteran living outside the United States who needs advance parole to enter the US for their naturalization interview.

How the English, civics, and interview questions apply to military applicants

Under both INA 328 and INA 329, you must demonstrate the ability to read, write, and speak basic English, and demonstrate knowledge of US history and government (civics), unless you qualify for a waiver or submit Form N-648 (Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions), certified by a medical professional, for a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment.

For a walkthrough of how the officer tests your speaking, reading, writing, and civics on exam day, read our guide to the Citizenship Interview: What Happens, Step by Step and check what changed in the New Citizenship Test 2025: What Changed and Who Takes It.

At your interview, the USCIS officer places you under oath and reviews your Form N-400 and service records. To see every topic covered on the application itself, review our guide to N-400 Interview Questions, Part by Part. For military applicants, officers pay special attention to these verification points:

• Service dates, branch, and duty status: Have your exact enlistment date, component, and current duty station or separation date ready to match your Form N-426 or DD Form 214.
• Place of enlistment or induction (for non-LPRs filing under INA 329): Be ready to confirm you enlisted, reenlisted, extended, or were inducted in the United States (including Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), the Canal Zone, American Samoa, Swains Island, or aboard a noncommercial US public vessel.
• All periods of service and discharge characterizations: If you had more than one enlistment, the officer checks every DD Form 214 or NGB Form 22.
• Exemption or discharge based on alienage: The officer checks whether you ever applied for or obtained a discharge or exemption from US military service on the ground that you are an alien, or refused to wear the uniform.
• Good moral character (1 year for INA 329, 5 years for INA 328): Regardless of filing basis, USCIS conducts a Defense Clearance Investigative Index (DCII) query on every current and former service member and reviews any arrests, charges, or unpaid taxes. Bring certified court dispositions, sentencing records, and proof of completion for any incident.

Naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies abroad vs. in the United States

[PRACTICE_BOX]

Currently serving members stationed abroad: Under 8 U.S.C. 1443a, if you are currently serving outside the United States on orders, you may complete biometrics, your interview, and your oath ceremony overseas through US embassies, consulates, and overseas military installations. You can request overseas processing at any time. Under the Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act, USCIS must adjudicate applications filed by active-duty members serving abroad within 180 days of receiving all background check responses.

Separated veterans living abroad: USCIS lacks statutory authority to conduct interviews or oath ceremonies overseas for former service members, so you must complete both inside the United States. The USCIS field office with jurisdiction over your last US residence (or Outlying Possession) handles your case, though you can request an interview at a different office in a cover letter.

If you are a separated veteran living abroad and cannot enter the US with a visa, you can file Form I-131 concurrently with Form N-400 (for $0) to request advance parole. Write Military N-400 at the top of Form I-131, include Form I-134 (Affidavit of Support) and a police clearance from every foreign residence within 1 year of filing, and mail them together. If you fail to appear for a scheduled interview and do not notify USCIS within 30 days, USCIS administratively closes the application as abandoned, though correspondence within 1 year is treated as a request to reopen.

Under the Military Personnel Citizenship Processing Act of 2008, USCIS must process and adjudicate military naturalization applications within 6 months of receipt, or send a notice explaining the delay with an estimated completion date. For case questions, call the toll-free USCIS Military Help Line at 877-CIS-4MIL (877-247-4645, TTY 800-877-8339, or 711) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, excluding federal holidays, or email militaryinfo@uscis.dhs.gov.

Special cases: conditional residents, MAVNI (Calixto), and COVID-19 discharges

Conditional permanent residents and expiring Green Cards: If you are a conditional permanent resident and qualify under INA 329 without being an LPR based on being in the United States at enlistment or induction, you do not need to file or have an approved Form I-751 before USCIS approves your Form N-400. Also, effective December 12, 2022, a Form N-400 receipt notice automatically extends a Permanent Resident Card for 2 years from the Card Expires date when presented with the card.

Calixto settlement agreement (MAVNI): The Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI) pilot expired on September 30, 2017. Under the September 22, 2022 settlement in Calixto v. U.S. Department of the Army, the Army agreed to certify Form N-426 for certain soldiers who enlisted (including in the Delayed Entry Program or Delayed Training Program) through MAVNI on or before September 30, 2017, even if they never attended initial entry training or received an uncharacterized discharge by September 22, 2022. Class members should include a copy of the Calixto agreement and write Calixto at the top of both forms (or at the top of Form N-426 if filing online). J exchange visitors who enlisted through MAVNI (and their J-2 dependents) are also exempt from the INA 212(e) foreign residence requirement.

COVID-19 vaccine discharges: The military COVID-19 vaccination mandates of August 24, 2021 and November 30, 2021 were rescinded on January 10, 2023. Former service members discharged for refusing the vaccine may request a discharge characterization upgrade through their military department before filing for naturalization.

Military naturalization statistics: approvals by branch, age, and country (FY 2020 to FY 2024)

Between 2002 and October 2024, USCIS naturalized more than 187,000 US military members at home and across more than 30 countries, from Albania to the United Arab Emirates. From FY 2020 through FY 2024, USCIS approved 52,500 military naturalizations, including 16,290 in FY 2024 (a 34% increase from the previous year). By our calculation from USCIS CLAIMS 4 and ELIS data (as of October 2024), annual military naturalizations rose 256% over that five-year window, from 4,570 in FY 2020 to 16,290 in FY 2024.

From FY 2020 to FY 2024, the median age at naturalization was 27, with half between 22 and 30, more than 17% age 21 or under, and almost 5% over 40. Men accounted for 73% (38,120) and women for 27% (14,140). The top five countries of birth were the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), Mexico (3,670), Nigeria (3,270), and Ghana (2,190), making up over 38% of military naturalizations, followed by Haiti (2,010), China (2,010), Cameroon (1,750), Vietnam (1,400), and South Korea (1,360).

Rehearse your civics and N-400 verification questions out loud with our US Citizenship Interview Practice with AI.

Approved military naturalizations by service branch, FY 2020 to FY 2024 (USCIS CLAIMS 4 and ELIS data as of October 2024)

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or any government agency.