06 Sep What to Wear for Your Citizenship Interview

If you are currently working with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on obtaining your visa, you may be anxious about ensuring the process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible.  First impressions can be very important, so once your interview is scheduled with USCIS, it’s best to make sure you look your best to impress upon your interviewers that you are a responsible and trustworthy person. An excellent way to demonstrate this is by dressing in a way that is professional but comfortable. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of what to wear for a citizenship interview; including what not to wear to a citizenship interview and some guidelines for “what is business casual attire”? 

Is There a Dress Code for Citizenship Interview? 

While there is no official dress code policy for your naturalization interview with USCIS, dressing a particular way can signal to the interviewing USCIS officers that you are taking the process seriously. USCIS officers have been trained against being biased about how applicants are dressed, but even the best-trained officer can’t completely avoid having a reaction of some kind to how an applicant is dressed.

Your citizenship interview outfit will not play a factor in the overall decision of your case, it can not only create a good impression of you as a candidate, but it can also help you feel more confident in yourself. Therefore, this could reduce the amount of anxiety you may feel before and during your interview, and help you answer your questions confidently. 

What Not to Wear to a Citizenship Interview 

Now that we’ve examined how a visa interview outfit can help your U.S. citizenship interview process, it’s important to look at recommendations of what not to wear to a citizenship interview.

The most important thing to avoid when dressing for your interview is clothing that has controversial, political, or violent/ hateful slogans. Additionally, try to avoid using too much cologne or perfume when dressing. The room you may be interviewing in could be small and having too much perfume or cologne on could be distracting or create an uncomfortable environment for both you and the officers interviewing you.

While everyone’s visa interview outfit will likely be very personal and unique to them, you will want to make the best first impression possible. In general, we would recommend not wearing the kinds of clothing below:

• Visibly dirty or torn and damaged clothing.
• Athletic or gym clothing such as sweatpants, tank tops, or tracksuits. 

What is Business Casual? 

Many law firms and attorneys will recommend that you wear “business casual” clothing to your citizenship interview. This term can be tricky to understand as it’s somewhere in between full professional dress (such as suits and ties) and casual wear (t-shirts and jeans).  So, what is business casual attire? Essentially, business casual is a less formal version of business attire that usually will exclude jeans and shorts for men, and no short dresses or skirts for women. For women this can be a tricky style to navigate, as it may change slightly by region. In general, business casual attire for women avoids overly tight, short, or low-cut clothing.

While there are no strict rules for how to dress for a citizenship interview, looking and feeling your best on your interview day can go a long way in achieving a good outcome for your citizenship case. Being dressed well is just one element of your journey to U.S. citizenship. At Dominguez Law Firm, we specialize in helping the immigrant community and their families through the complex U.S. immigration system. Contact us today to discuss your specific case!