When preparing various government applications or requesting a replacement of your certificate with Form N-565, you may need to locate your Certificate of Naturalization number.
If you have a Certificate of Naturalization, it may look similar to the example below. The Certificate of Naturalization number is generally an 8-digit alpha numeric number located in the top right section of the document. The certificate number, also known as a C-file number, is printed in red on all certificates issued since September 27, 1906.
Older documents may have the number in a different location. INS issued these “old law” naturalization certificates to replace certificates that were originally granted under the “old law” procedure in effect prior to the Act of June 29, 1906 (which became effective September 27, 1906).
Certificate numbers may also be found on some indices to court naturalization records. Court indices primarily reference court petition and declaration documents. Do not confuse the petition number with the certificate number. They are different.
The certificate number is different than the USCIS number on the document. The USCIS number is the same thing as an alien registration number. You will also find this number near the top of the document, but it has a very different purpose.
If you must replace your Certificate of Naturalization, knowing the certificate number is helpful, but it is not mandatory. You may replace the document for the purposes of recovering your certificate of naturalization number. Or, you may replace the document despite not knowing your number. Need help replacing a certificate? CitizenPath makes the application process easy. Learn more >>
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