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N-400 decision
USCIS must give written reasons when it denies a naturalization application. The denial notice identifies the factual and legal basis and explains the hearing right.
Naturalization review · reviewed August 29, 2026
An N-400 denial is not the end of the legal process
Naturalization has an unusually important review structure. A denied applicant can seek an administrative hearing, and after that hearing Congress expressly provides for de novo review in federal district court.
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Form N-336
A denied N-400 applicant generally requests a hearing by filing Form N-336 within 30 calendar days of receiving the denial decision. USCIS may reject an untimely request, subject to the motion rules described in the instructions.
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Hearing before an immigration officer
The Section 336 hearing is an administrative review of the naturalization denial. Additional evidence and briefs may be submitted as permitted by the form instructions and hearing process.
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Federal district court review
After the statutory administrative hearing, 8 U.S.C. § 1421(c) permits the applicant to seek review in the U.S. district court where the person resides. The statute says that review is de novo.
Deadline
Current N-336 instructions say to file the hearing request within 30 calendar days of receiving the N-400 denial. Deadline calculation can be outcome-determinative, so use the notice and current instructions rather than a remembered date.
Current general fee
The current G-1055 lists Form N-336 at $780 online or $830 on paper. The current military-service category is $0, and fee-waiver categories may also apply.
De novo means a new judicial determination
Section 1421(c) directs the district court to make its own findings of fact and conclusions of law and, at the petitioner's request, conduct a hearing de novo on the application.
A separate federal-court route exists for some delayed cases
8 U.S.C. § 1447(b) addresses failure to make a determination within 120 days after the naturalization examination. The applicant may apply to the federal district court where the applicant resides; the court may determine the matter or remand it to USCIS with instructions.
The meaning of “examination,” jurisdiction after filing, and litigation strategy can involve case law. This is a point where individualized legal advice is especially valuable.
Other citizenship applications use different appeal paths
Do not apply the N-336 process to every citizenship document. For example, a denied Form N-600 has its own appeal and motion framework. The denial notice and current form/regulation control the available review path.