Ghazizadeh v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Jon Tigar
- 4:25-cv-04515
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 2
In Zaniar Ghazizadeh v. United States, Judge Tigar approved remand to USCIS, directing a naturalization decision within 21 days.
Zaniar Ghazizadeh and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which was directed to decide his naturalization application within 21 days of the remand, absent unforeseen circumstances.
What happened
Zaniar Ghazizadeh v. United States involved Ghazizadeh’s request under federal law for the court to address his naturalization application, which had remained pending at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services after his interview.
The parties agreed that the court would send the case back to the agency and direct USCIS to take the necessary steps and decide the application within 21 days, unless unforeseen circumstances prevented that deadline. Each side agreed to pay its own costs and fees.
Judge Jon S. Tigar approved the agreement and ordered the case remanded to USCIS. The order did not decide whether Ghazizadeh should receive naturalization; it directed the agency to make that decision.
The detailed version
- Ghazizadeh v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services · No. 4:25-cv-04515
- Jon Tigar
- Oct. 1, 2025
Background
Zaniar Ghazizadeh filed an action under 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b), asking the district court to adjudicate his naturalization application because it had been pending before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for more than 120 days after his interview.
Parties’ Agreement
USCIS agreed that it was prepared to adjudicate the application but could not do so until the court remanded the case to the agency. The parties stipulated that the court would remand the case to USCIS and direct the agency to take all necessary actions and issue a decision on the naturalization application within 21 days of the remand, absent unforeseen circumstances.
The parties also agreed that, if USCIS did not issue a decision within that time, the defendants would not oppose a motion by Ghazizadeh asking the court to vacate the remand order and reassert jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b). Each party agreed to bear its own costs and fees.
Ruling
Judge Jon S. Tigar approved the stipulation and ordered the case remanded to USCIS. The order required the agency to decide the naturalization application but did not decide the application’s merits or determine whether Ghazizadeh qualifies for naturalization.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.