The Naturalization Ceremony at Exeter High School

A Naturalization Ceremony is the final step a Green Card holder must take to become a U.S. citizen. For an individual to receive an invitation to a Naturalization Ceremony, they must have completed the five necessary steps, recited below.

1. Determining Eligibility - An individual must meet certain criteria to be considered for naturalization and citizenship:

1. 18 years old at the time of application

2. Lawful permanent resident status

   1. The individual must have held a lawful permanent resident, otherwise known as a Green Card holder, for a certain time, as specified next

3. Continuous residence + physical presence 

   1. The individual must have lived in the US as a lawful permanent resident for at least 5 years

   2. If the individual is married, the minimum requirement is reduced to 3 years of being a lawful permanent resident 

   3. The individual must be present in the US for 30 months, out of the 5 or 3 years, before the application

4. Additional Information

   1. If an individual is or has been part of the US military, some previous steps may differ

2. Form N-400 - This is the official Application for Naturalization

   1. This form includes information on the applicant’s history, criminal records, medical records, residency, marital history, and identity

3. Biometrics - This involves fingerprinting and photos for a background check

4. Interviews and Testing - Qualifying interviews are conducted by a United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer

   1. The individual will be interviewed about their background and application

   2. The individual will also take an English and civics test

5. Decision - USCIS chooses whether to approve or deny the application

Upon the acceptance of the individual’s citizenship process, applicants will receive an N-445, a notice of their upcoming Naturalization Ceremony. During the Ceremony, individuals will recite the Oath of Allegiance and exchange their Green Card for a Certificate of Naturalization, making them officially citizens of the United States. 

On April 4th, 2025, Exeter High School hosted a US District Court Chief Judge who led a Naturalization Ceremony. In the auditorium that day, Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty sat across the stage facing the audience, an audience of the entire Freshman class, representatives on behalf of Senator Jean Shaheen, Senator Maggie Hasson, and Governer Kelly Ayotte, various teachers and staff, and—most importantly—50 US Citizenship applicants and their loved ones. The applicants sat in the front center section of the auditorium, closest to Chief Judge McCafferty and her respective staff. 

The appearance of the applicants varied, as some were dressed in suits or dresses, while others were dressed in hoodies and sweats. There was also a variety of different languages being spoken in the room, creating a loud and unrecognizable conversation. 

As the ceremony began, the Chief Judge began by introducing herself and her staff assisting with the ceremony before preparing those getting their citizenship for the Oath of Allegiance. The Oath of Allegiance is 140 words summarizing how pledgers will support the US Constitution, reject any loyalty to other, foreign nations or heirs, defend the US Constitution in times of danger, be true to the US Constitution, and, when necessary, bear arms for the United States, function under military command when required, and finally, preform nationally important civilian work when required.

After the Oath of Allegiance, there was a Call of Countries, which is where new citizens stand as their country of origin is announced by Chief Judge McCafferty. During this segment, 28 different countries were announced. The list below shows each country called and how many from that country became citizens.

In the next Talon issue, you can read about the personal conversations I had with some of these individuals, including details such as how they made this decision, why they chose this path, and other incredible aspects of their journey leading up to the Naturalization Ceremony.