Source: https://usahello.org/citizenship/prepare/n400-vocabulary/
Timestamp: 2020-06-06 20:21:09
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Understand the N400 questions | USAHello
Citizenship > Prepare for citizenship > Understand the N400 questions
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Do you need help filling out your application? There are many good resources to help you. Learn how to fill out the N400 form.
There are two reasons. First, USCIS wants to make sure you understood the question well enough to answer it correctly. The second reason is to test your English skills. It is much harder to explain something than to say “yes” or “no.” If you can explain what something means in English, it shows that your English skills are good.
The USCIS officers usually ask people to explain a word or phrase in Section 12. Here is an example: one question in Section 12 asks, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime or offense?” If you answered “no” on your form, the interviewer may ask you, “What is a crime?” or “What does convicted mean?” You will want to explain in English that a crime is an action that can be punished by law. You can say that convicted means found guilty in a court of law.
Here are some difficult words and terms that you will see in Section 12 and in other sections of the N400 form. The meanings we give here are the meanings of the words as they are used on the N400 form. The terms are listed in the same order as you’ll see them on the form.
not applicable – not about you. For example, if you have no children and the form says “children’s names,” it is not applicable and you can write N/A.
Part 12, questions 1–21
claimed to be a U.S. citizen – lied about citizenship or said you are a citizen when you are not yet
federal, state, or local election – an election to do with the whole country (for example choosing the US president) or with the state you live in, or with the town or county you live in
legally incompetent – mentally ill or not able to think properly or make decisions for yourself
federal, state, or local taxes – money you pay that is your share of the costs of national, state or city services, such as schools, roads, or the military
communist – system in which there is no private ownership of land, housing, or businesses and in which the government controls the money system
directly or indirectly – to do something in an obvious way (directly) or in a more hidden way (indirectly)
Part 12, questions 22–29
Part 12, questions 30–44
Part 12, questions 45–50
The N-400 form comes with official instructions. You can view or download the N400 instructions as a pdf. The instructions do not explain all the words, but they do explain some of the terms in the form, such as “Asian” or “Alaska Native”.
Watch a video about the words in the N400 Part 12, questions 1-21:
Watch a video about the words in the N400 Part 12, questions 22-29:
Watch a video about the words in the N400 Part 12, questions 30-44:
Watch a video about the words in the N400 Part 12, questions 45-50:
NOLO is a legal website. It offers services for a fee, but it has some good free information too. NOLO’s line-by-line instructions explain what the questions mean in clear, simple English. Note: these instructions are not for the latest (2019) form, but the questions are the same.
Type or paste any word or even long texts into Google Translate and select the language you want. It works better for some languages than others. For example, it is good at Spanish but not very good at Arabic.