For the millions of people who are eligible or soon will be eligible to become naturalized U.S. citizens, “becoming American” is an important part of forming their new identity. Through many years of waiting and various legal hurdles, most immigrants who reach the point of naturalization value the opportunity to become more closely knit to the fabric of U.S. society. U.S. citizenship is the greatest benefit any immigrant can receive. It is often the pinnacle of a long journey over many years and miles. Over the past three years, over 2.3 million permanent residents have naturalized as U.S. citizens. However, over 340,000 permanent residents had their Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, denied during the same period. The denial rate held steady; USCIS denies approximately 9.5 percent of all applications. And there are many reasons for this. We’ve compiled a list of the five common reasons for continuing or denying a Form N-400 application.