What Is The Procedure For Citizenship Certificate Replacement?

N-565, Application for replacement naturalization / citizenship document :

Form N-565 needs to be filed with the USCIS for a citizenship certificate replacement. Per the USCIS ,you may apply form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization or Citizenship Document, if you have been issued a Naturalization Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, Declaration of Intention or Repatriation Certificate which has been lost, mutilated,or destroyed, and you can use the same form if your name has been changed by marriage or by court order after the citizenship document was issued and you seek a document in the new name.

But Form N-565 should not be filed to correct errors on the citizenship certificate unless they are USCIS errors. Apparently, an applicant is required to file with District Court to get them to order a revision if the mistake is due to his or her own error.


Citizenship Certificate Replacement Process :


As soon as as you have signed the forms and gathered the necessary supporting documents, you should mail the completed application package to the USCIS along with the submission fees. The mailing address will be mentioned in the instructions page. If the reason for filing the form is to get a replacement of a mutilated document, you must attach the mutilated document and send it with your application. OR if you are filing for a new document because your name has been changed, you must submit the original USCIS document and a copy of the marriage certificate or court order as proof of the name change. On the other hand, if you are filing for a special certificate of naturalization, you must attach a copy of your naturalization certificate along with the citizenship certificate replacement application.

Apart from the supporting documents, you should submit two color photographs of yourself. It should be taken within 30 days of filing of this application for citizenship certificate replacement.

After you mail the application for citizenship certificate replacement, the USCIS will check for completeness, including submission of the required initial evidence. If you do not completely fill out the form, or have sent the application without the needed initial evidence, you will not establish a basis for eligibility and the USCIS may deny your application. So always ensure that your application is complete and you submit the needed supporting documents. Once you have mailed the application for a citizenship certificate replacement to the USCIS, you can expect to receive an Application Receipt Notice with a 13-character Application Receipt number within 30 days. This Receipt Notice is the proof that USCIS has received your application and that it is being processed. You may use the number on the receipt to check the status of your application while it is pending.

Later, the USCIS may request more information or evidence when you appear at the specific USCIS office for an interview. They may also request you to submit the originals of any document.

Finally, if you establish eligibility for the document, your application will be approved and the new document issued. Where appropriate, a special certificate of naturalization will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of State for delivery to a foreign government official. If your application for citizenship certificate replacement is denied, the USCIS will notify in writing of the reasons for the denial.