Green Card Holder Sues Over Slow Citizenship Application: What Applicants Should Know

A green card holder in Ohio has filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge to push USCIS to finish his naturalization case. Meng Ju Liu, a Taiwanese national who has lived in the United States since 2002, went to court on October 15 in the Southern District of Ohio. He filed his Form N-400 in April 2025. According to the reports we reviewed, Mr. Liu has waited about 18 months and has not yet been called for a naturalization interview. He says the delay is unreasonable and that the government has not explained the reason. He does not dispute that officers must run background and security checks. He asks the court to order those checks finished within 30 days and then to decide his case. His case is not the only sign of strain. In early October, Congressman André Carson and 26 other members of Congress wrote to USCIS about canceled naturalization ceremonies. In Indianapolis, the agency canceled at least three ceremonies since July, citing a lack of candidates, while local offices said they still had pending applications waiting for action. The law on naturalization delays has a specific rule. Federal law allows an applicant to ask a federal district court to step in if USCIS has not made a decision within 120 days after the interview. Most courts count those 120 days from the first interview, not from the day the application was filed. There is an important limit. Because this remedy starts only after the interview, it does not cover cases where no interview has been scheduled. Those applicants may need to rely on a different legal argument, such as saying the wait is unreasonable. A case that is past the posted processing time is not automatically unreasonable, so courts look at several factors. Separately, a proposed DHS rule would raise the N-400 fee from $760 to $1,330 for paper filings and from $710 to $1,280 for online filings. The same proposal would remove the reduced-fee option for some lower-income applicants and end fee waivers for naturalization cases. This is only a proposal, not a final rule, so check official sources before you plan around it. What this means for you: If you are waiting on an N-400, start by checking your case status and the USCIS processing time for your office. Keep every receipt notice, interview notice, and letter, and write down the date of each contact with USCIS. If your interview took place more than 120 days ago and you have no decision, you may have legal options. Some cases need a quick response, and filing in the wrong court can cause problems. Talk to an immigration attorney before you file anything, especially if you are considering a lawsuit. This article is general information, not legal advice. Sources: Green Card Holder Sues Over Naturalization Taking 'an Eternity' - Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/green-card-holder-sues-over-naturalization-taking-an-eternity-12604242 Rep. Carson Seeks Answers on Canceled Naturalization Ceremonies: https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-carson-seeks-answers-canceled-naturalization-ceremonies How to Get Judicial Relief Under 8 USC 1447(b) for a Stalled Naturalization Application - American Immigration Council: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/practice-advisory/how-get-judicial-relief-under-8-usc-1447b-stalled-naturalization-application/ Mandamus Lawsuit Against USCIS for Delay: 2026 Guide: https://www.passage.law/mandamus-lawsuit-uscis-delay-2026/ Photo: Markus Spiske on Unsplash