School Naturalization Ceremony Planning Guide - When a School Hosts a Naturalization Ceremony

Aug 31, 2026

A planning guide for schools hosting naturalization ceremonies in connection with U.S. Courts’ Constitution Day and Citizenship Day initiative. It outlines timelines for preparation, describes the roles of a federal judge and USCIS in administering the Oath of Allegiance, and clarifies communication through designated court and entity contacts. The guide covers security planning, candidate coordination, site selection, site visits, multiple meetings and conference calls, and post-event debriefing to capture successes and lessons learned.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatDOCX

Pages11

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Planning Time Line

Naturalization Ceremonies and Oath of Allegiance

Federal Judge Ceremonies

Administrative Ceremonies (USCIS)

Contact People and Communication Structure

One Contact Per Participating Entity

Non-School Participants and Their Roles

Federal Court in Your Jurisdiction

U.S. Marshals Service

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Community Representatives

Decision Makers for Participating Entities

School, U.S. District Court, USCIS, U.S. Marshals Service

Meetings and Conference Calls

Site Visit and Initial Planning

Progress Conference Call

Confirmation Meeting

On-Site Meeting

Media Walk Through

Final Confirmation Call

Post-Event Debriefing

Select the Ceremony Site on Campus

Common On-Campus Locations

Site Visit(s) and Capacity Determination

When a School Hosts a Naturalization Ceremony The following pages are a planning guide from HYPERLINK "http://citizenshipcounts.org/" Citizenship Counts that has been slightly modified by the Educational Outreach function of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for use by schools participating in the federal courts’ Constitution Day and Citizenship Day national initiative. It is important to keep in mind that the players, process, and program will vary somewhat depending on court practices and school policies. Planning Time Line Schools that have hosted ceremonies report that they start planning about 14 weeks in advance of the ceremony. Naturalization Ceremonies Presided Over by a Federal Judge The information here is a general guide for naturalization ceremonies presided over by a federal judge. At a judicial ceremony, a federal court judge administers the Oath of Allegiance. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also is authorized to conduct naturalization ceremonies that are called administrative ceremonies. In an administrative ceremony an official from USCIS, administers the Oath of Allegiance. Contact People – One Per Participating Entity: It is recommended that each entity designate one contact person/decision maker and that communication among the entities be limited to these representatives. The court coordinator is the only person with whom the school representative needs to communicate. Your contact at the court is usually, but not always, a Naturalization Ceremony Clerk or a clerk in the District Clerk’s office. That person/coordinator will handle communication with the other parties – U.S. Marshals Service, USCIS, etc. Your court contact will provide you with the relevant information from the court and the other parties. Non-School Participants and Their Roles Federal Court in Your Jurisdiction: Designates a court contact for you who is the key decision maker regarding the program. Provides the presiding judge for the ceremony. The judge welcomes everyone, administers the oath, and makes some remarks. Sometimes, the judge poses for photos afterward. U.S. Marshals Service Provides the judge’s security and works with the school contact, the school’s chief security contact, and local police. Security. Identify and designate the on-campus security decision maker. That person will participate in site visits and will work closely with the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement on the planning and implementation of security measures at the school site in advance of, during, and immediately after the ceremony Page 1 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Only the court contact interfaces with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). They work together on all matters related to the candidates – inviting them, communicating with them about the ceremony, and processing them with their paperwork at the event. Identify Decision Makers Who Will Represent the Participating Entities The Following Entities Should Have a Decision Maker Representing It at Meetings and at the Event These individuals have the authority to make decisions, give approvals, assign tasks, and access their organization’s services. School. Two Contact People: 1) The school administration’s primary decision maker and the 2) school’s security decision maker represent the school’s interests and make decisions about campus logistics. U.S. District Court. One Contact Person: Works with the school’s primary decision maker. In addition to representing the court, the court contact provides information to the School’s Primary about relevant information related to U.S.C.I.S. USCIS. One Contact Person. Works with the U.S. District Court contact person. The court contact person communicates relevant information about U.S.C.I.S. to the School’s Primary Contact. U.S. Marshals Service. One Contact Person: Works with the U.S. District Court contact and the school’s security decision maker Community Rep

FAQs

How far in advance should a school start planning a naturalization ceremony?

Schools that have hosted ceremonies report starting about 14 weeks in advance of the ceremony.

Who administers the Oath of Allegiance in federal judge versus administrative ceremonies?

In a judicial ceremony, a federal court judge administers the Oath of Allegiance. In an administrative ceremony, an authorized USCIS official administers the Oath of Allegiance.

How should communication between the school and other participating entities be managed?

Each entity should designate one contact person/decision maker, and communication should be limited to these representatives. The court coordinator is the primary person the school representative communicates with.

Aug 31, 2026

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