Probation / parole
U.S. Naturalization Test (2025 Standard) glossary · English
Definition
Court supervision - complete and disclose.
Probation / parole in plain English
Both are forms of court supervision that let someone stay out of prison as long as they follow rules and check in with an officer. Probation usually means serving your sentence in the community instead of jail; parole means being released early from prison to finish your sentence outside. On the naturalization test this matters because you must be honest about it: if you're currently on probation or parole, USCIS generally won't approve your citizenship until it's finished, and hiding it is far worse than disclosing it. The safe move is always to complete the supervision and tell the truth on your application.
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