The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published policy guidelines outlining two specific conditions under which applicants for a Certificate of Citizenship can bypass the standard in-person interview requirement. The policy applies to both individual applicants and US citizen parents filing on behalf of children under 18 years of age.
Two Conditions for Interview Waiver
Under standard USCIS procedure, anyone filing an Application for Certificate of Citizenship is required to appear before a USCIS officer in person. Where the application is submitted on behalf of a child under 18 years of age, the US citizen parent or parents must also attend. However, according to the USCIS policy, the agency holds the authority to waive the interview requirement under two distinct conditions:
- Where all documentation necessary to confirm an applicant's eligibility is already contained within USCIS administrative records.
- Where the complete set of required documents is submitted together with the application at the time of filing.
In either case, the waiver is not automatic. USCIS must determine that the available documentation is sufficient to establish eligibility without the need for a face-to-face review.
Relevance for Nigerian and African Immigrants
The policy is particularly relevant for people in Nigeria and the broader African immigrant community navigating the US naturalisation and citizenship process. Many applicants are unaware that the interview step, often seen as a fixed requirement, can in certain circumstances be removed entirely from the process.
Foreigners who believe they may qualify for an interview waiver are advised to ensure their documentation is thorough and complete before or at the point of submission, as this is the clearest path to satisfying the conditions USCIS has set out.
Consequences for Failing Citizenship Test
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the US government has explained the consequences for applicants who fail the English or civics portion of the naturalisation test. Legit.ng learnt that applicants who fail are given a second attempt between 60 and 90 days after their initial interview date.
