NATURALIZATION APPLICATION AND RECORDS

When the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) determines that an applicant has met the requirements for citizenship, they will schedule the applicant for a public oath ceremony. Please see our Frequently Asked Questions About Naturalization to learn more about applying for naturalization and obtaining records from judicial oath ceremonies. (Records from administrative oath ceremonies must be obtained from the [uscis.gov] USCIS.)

NATURALIZATION CEREMONIES

Administrative Oath Ceremonies

• USCIS has been conferred authority by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to administer the oath, without the presence of a federal judge, for approved applicants who are NOT contemporaneously seeking a name change.
• Such ceremonies are not scheduled by the Court, so clerk’s office personnel are unaware of their timing, location, or the availability of seating for the public.
• Please contact [uscis.gov] USCIS if you have questions regarding an administrative oath ceremony.

Judicial Oath Ceremonies

• Approved applicants who have also petitioned to change their names must be scheduled by the USCIS to attend a ceremony presided over by a federal judge, so the judge may contemporaneously grant the name change. (USCIS may also schedule approved applicants who are not seeking a name change for oath administration during a judicial ceremony.)
• While ceremonies may be held at any of our federal courthouses or offsite locations so long as a federal judge is present, ceremonies coordinated by USCIS - Houston Field Office are most frequently held at our courthouse in Beaumont, and ceremonies coordinated by USCIS – Dallas Field Office are most frequently held at the Plano Events Center.
• Re: OFFSITE CEREMONIES - Please contact [uscis.gov] USCIS if you have questions regarding available seating.   
• Re: COURTROOM CEREMONIES - Reserved seating is available only for applicants and ceremony participants (e.g., guest speaker, singer, flag bearer). Remaining seating is available on a first come, first served basis with access controlled by court security officers, and in accordance with these provisions: General Order 18-06 Courthouse Security Policy. The current schedule is shown below: