What documents are optimal to bring for one's naturalization interview, in the simplest situation, to minimize the time to obtain the US passport?

Question

Assume the following simple case: single (no divorce), no kids, employed and living in the US for >5 years, filed taxes each year, no citations/arrests/warrants, >5 years with green card obtained via EB-2 NIW (i.e., not via family or birth location), physical presence and continuous residence tests passed with no issues (no trips outside the US longer than 180 days, no back-to-back long trips and >2.5 years spent in the US over the past 5 years), answered no to all moral character questions in the N-400 (except for the oath questions, e.g. yes I accept to take the oath), no name change, all taxes paid on time, no need for selective service registration.

What documents does one need for one's naturalization interview to minimize the time it takes to obtain the US passport? I'd also would like to bring any documents needed for the oath ceremony and US passport applications, as they might happen in the same way as the naturalization interview.

I couldn't find any exhaustive list yet despite reading over a dozen of lists, so here's below what the list I've compiled, but I'd like to know whether I should add any other the documents to it:

• The interview appointment letter.
• Green card.
• Driver's license, or some other state-issued identification document.
• Passports and travel documents (both valid and expired passports), as well as any travel documents issued by the USCIS.
• Tax transcripts for the past 5 years (not required but strongly recommended).
• 2 passport photos (2x2 inches in size), as they may be used on the naturalization certificate and/or DS-11 Form.
• a completed but not signed DS-11 Form.
• a black pen (e.g., to complete forms such as signing the DS-11).
• a cheque book, to pay for form submissions (e.g., Form DS-11).

What else shall I bring, if any?

Answer 1

The interview appointment letter will include the list of the required documents. IIRC only the first two in your list are an absolute must. Anything else may be required if the officer handling your case explicitly asks for it.

I'd suggest bringing the tax transcripts, passports, and if you ever had any issues with the law (including traffic/parking tickets) - evidence that it had been settled. You'll probably need a state-issued id to enter the building (if it's a separate USCIS building or a Federal building - probably not).

You do not need to bring DS-11. If you're invited to a ceremony on the same day (or whenever) you should get that form in your congratulatory packet. It actually may not be exactly the same as the standard one. I don't think you should be expecting a same-day ceremony. Be prepared, but don't be disappointed if you don't get a same-day ceremony. I believe these are becoming increasingly rare in recent years.

Answer 2

• Travel history (list of start+end of trips, and for each trip, visited countries), if any, that happened after the N-400 submission.
• The completed N-400 form (may be convenient to refresh one's memory, since the USCIS will go through it).
• A file folder or some other way to protect a document, as the naturalization certificate is given without a protective sleeve.