CFR

336.9—Judicial review of denial determinations on applications for naturalization.

(a) General. The provisions in part 310 of this chapter shall provide the sole and exclusive procedures for requesting judicial review of final determinations on applications for naturalization made pursuant to section 336(a) of the Act and the provisions of this chapter by the Service on or after October 1, 1991.

(b) Filing a petition. Under these procedures an applicant shall file a petition for review in the United States District Court having jurisdiction over his or her place of residence, in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5, United States Code, within a period of not more than 120 days after the Service's final determination. The petition for review shall be brought against the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and service of the petition for review shall be made upon the Attorney General of the United States, and upon the official in charge of the Service office where the hearing was held pursuant to § 336.2.

(c) Standard of review. The review will be de novo, and the court will make its own findings of fact and conclusions of law. The court may also conduct, at the request of the petitioner, a hearing de novo on the application for naturalization.

(d) Exhaustion of remedies. A Service determination denying an application for naturalization under section 335(a) of the Act shall not be subject to judicial review until the applicant has exhausted those administrative remedies available to the applicant under section 336 of the Act. Every petition for judicial review shall state whether the validity of the final determination to deny an application for naturalization has been upheld in any prior administrative proceeding and, if so, the nature and date of such proceeding and the forum in which such proceeding took place.

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