[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 8, Volume 1] [Revised as of January 1, 2002] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 8CFR337.8] [Page 782-783] TITLE 8--ALIENS AND NATIONALITY CHAPTER I--IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PART 337--OATH OF ALLEGIANCE--Table of Contents Sec. 337.8 Oath administered by the courts. (a) Notification of election. An applicant for naturalization not subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of Sec. 310.2(d) of this chapter shall notify the Service at the time of the filing of, or no later than at the examination on, the application of his or her election to have the oath of allegiance administered in an appropriate court having jurisdiction over the applicant's place of residence. (b) Certification of eligibility--(1) Exclusive jurisdiction. In those instances falling within the exclusive jurisdiction provision of section 310(b)(1)(B) of the Act, the Service shall notify the court of the applicant's eligibility for admission to United States citizenship by submitting to the clerk of court [[Page 783]] Form N-646 within ten (10) days of the approval of the application. (2) Non-exclusive jurisdiction. In those instances in which the applicant has elected to have the oath administered in a court ceremony, the Service shall notify the clerk of court, in writing, using Form N- 646, that the applicant has been determined by the Attorney General to be eligible for admission to United States citizenship upon taking the requisite oath of allegiance and renunciation in a public ceremony. If a scheduled hearing date is not available at the time of the notification, Form N-646 shall indicate that the applicant has not been scheduled for a ceremony and the applicant shall be informed in writing that the application has been approved but no ceremony date is yet available. (c) Preparation of lists. (1) At or prior to the oath administration ceremony the representative attending the ceremony shall submit to the court on Form N-647, in duplicate, lists of persons to be administered the oath of allegiance and renunciation. After the ceremony, and after any required amendments and notations have been made therein, the clerk of court shall sign the lists. (2) The originals of all court lists specified in this section shall be filed permanently in the court, and the duplicates returned by the clerk of court to the appropriate Service office for retention by such office. The same disposition shall be made of any list presented to, but not approved by, the court. (d) Personal representation of the government at oath administration ceremonies. An oath administration ceremony shall be attended by a representative of the Service, who shall review each applicant's completed questionnaire Form N-445. If necessary, the Service representative shall question the applicant regarding the information thereon. If the questioning reveals derogatory information, the applicant's name shall be removed from the list of eligible persons as provided in Sec. 335.5 of this chapter and the court shall not administer the oath to such applicant. (e) Written report in lieu of personal representation. If it is impracticable for a Service representative to be present at a judicial oath administration ceremony, written notice of that fact shall be given by the Service to the court. The applicants to be administered the oath shall be listed on the appropriate forms prescribed in paragraph (d) of this section. The forms, memoranda, and certificates of naturalization shall be transmitted to the clerk of court, who shall submit the appropriate lists to the court. (f) Withdrawal from court. An applicant for naturalization not subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of Sec. 310.3(d) of this chapter, who has elected to have the oath administered in a court oath ceremony, may, for good cause shown, request that his or her name be removed from the list of persons eligible to be administered the oath at a court oath ceremony and request that the oath be administered in a ceremony conducted by an Immigration Judge or the Service. Such request shall be in writing to the Service office which granted the application and shall cite the reasons for the request. The district director or officer-in- charge shall consider the good cause shown and the best interests of the applicant in making a decision. If it is determined that the applicant shall be permitted to withdraw his or her name from the court ceremony, the Service shall give written notice to the court of the applicant's withdrawal, and the applicant shall be scheduled for the next available oath ceremony, conducted by an Immigration Judge or the Service, as if he or she had never elected the court ceremony. [58 FR 49915, Sept. 24, 1993, as amended at 60 FR 37804, July 24, 1995]