Citizenship Process in the U.S. Slows Down as Backlog of Applications Surges

Washington, October 22 (Daily Kiran) : The wait for Indian green card holders seeking U.S. citizenship is becoming increasingly prolonged. According to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the number of pending citizenship applications exceeded 813,000 in August.

USCIS’s monthly report indicated that only 15,349 citizenship applications (Form N-400) were approved in August, a drop from 16,514 in July and 18,439 in June. Meanwhile, the backlog has continued to grow, rising from 744,412 in June to 778,489 in July and reaching 813,453 in August.

Of the pending applications in August, 513,462 had been awaiting a decision for more than six months. USCIS reported that, on average, processing a single application now takes about 12.7 months. In August alone, the agency received 54,492 new applications, more than three times the number of approvals that month.

This situation is particularly significant for Indian applicants. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Homeland Security Statistics noted that India ranked second in new U.S. citizens for fiscal year 2024. According to the DHS’s annual report, approximately 49,700 individuals born in India became U.S. citizens that year, accounting for 6.1 percent of all new citizens.

Prominent Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has expressed concern about the sluggish process. She took to social media platform X to state, “The administration is halting citizenship approvals for green card holders.” Jayapal, born in Chennai and later becoming a U.S. citizen, serves as a senior Democrat on the House Immigration Subcommittee.

USCIS did not provide reasons for the decline in approvals in its monthly report. This trend coincides with actions taken by the Trump administration, which tightened several pathways to legal immigration, including suspending the PERM labor certification process used for employment-based green cards. This has raised concerns among Indian professionals.

Generally, permanent residents (green card holders) can apply for U.S. citizenship after five years, or three years if married to a U.S. citizen. Applicants must also pass an English and civics test and undergo an interview.

Many Indians have faced years, even decades, of waiting for employment-based green cards due to country-specific limits. For these individuals, citizenship represents the final milestone, alleviating uncertainties related to travel, sponsoring relatives, and voting rights.

The growing delays in the citizenship process may also impact many green card holders applying this year, preventing them from voting in the upcoming midterm elections in November.

Immigration attorneys have advised applicants to submit their applications with complete and accurate information and to keep their addresses updated with USCIS to avoid unnecessary delays.