Form N-400 checklist: every document you need
The N-400's own instructions carry the controlling checklist — this page organizes it so nothing gets missed: the core items nearly every applicant sends, the documents that depend on the path, the translation rule, and what goes with the filing versus what comes to the interview. Every claim is cited; the instructions control; this is general process description, not advice about any individual case.
The core items
For most applicants the anchor document is simple: a copy of the permanent resident card, both sides. The filing fee (or the reduced-fee/fee-waiver documentation) travels with it. Beyond that, the instructions' checklist tells each applicant which of the situation-specific documents apply — and that list, not any summary of it, is the authority.
The 3-year marriage path's extras
An applicant filing under the 3-year provision as the spouse of a U.S. citizen documents the marriage itself: the marriage certificate, the spouse's proof of citizenship, and evidence of the marital union, as the instructions and the Policy Manual describe. Prior marriages on either side are documented as terminated.
Free. About 4 minutes. See your forms and your total cost before you pay anything.
Information the form collects (not documents)
The N-400 collects five years of address history, employment or school history, and travel outside the United States, plus marriages and children — as information on the form. Having those dates and details assembled before starting is the difference between an evening and a week; documents back them only where the instructions say so.
Some situations call for their own documents — the instructions flag them item by item, and situation-specific categories that reach into individualized legal territory belong in front of the instructions, or counsel, rather than a summary page.
Translations and photos
Any document in a foreign language needs a full English translation with the translator's certification of completeness, accuracy, and competence. Photographs are required only in the limited situations the instructions describe — most U.S.-resident applicants are photographed at biometrics instead.
Copies with the filing, originals at the interview
The general convention: copies go with the filing unless the instructions require an original, and originals of key documents come to the interview for the officer to review. A checklist kept in one place — with each document's status tracked — is exactly the kind of thing that prevents the one-missing-item returned package.
Know exactly what your case needs. Before you file anything.
Free 4-minute assessment. No card required.
What is the single must-have document for the N-400?
A copy of the permanent resident card, both sides — plus the filing fee or fee-reduction documentation. The instructions' checklist governs everything else by situation.
What extra documents does the 3-year marriage path need?
The marriage certificate, the spouse's proof of U.S. citizenship, evidence of the marital union, and termination documents for any prior marriages, per the instructions.
Do documents need to be translated?
Any foreign-language document needs a full certified English translation — completeness, accuracy, and the translator's competence, certified.
Are passport photos required?
Only in the limited situations the instructions describe (for example, applicants residing abroad); most U.S.-resident applicants are photographed at biometrics.
Should originals be mailed?
Generally no — copies go with the filing unless the instructions require originals, and key originals come to the interview for review.