To celebrate the 4th of July, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) held naturalization ceremonies across the United States to welcome new citizens. According to a press release by USCIS, between July 1 and July 8, more than 6,600 immigrants became new citizens in more than 140 naturalization ceremonies. In the fiscal year 2021, 8,55,000 new citizens were naturalized, and U.S. Homeland Security statistics provide the top 5 birth countries for naturalized citizens.
These 5 birth countries accounted for 34% of new citizens in the 1st quarter of 2022, compared to the 1st quarter of 2o21 when the top 5 countries were 2021; the top five nationalities were Mexico, India, Cuba, the Philippines and China. According to the press release, in the 2021 fiscal year, 8,55,000 new citizens were naturalized, and in 2022, 6,61,500 new citizens have been naturalized as of June 15. The United States fiscal year starts on October 1 and ends on September 30.
If you are not from one of these countries, don’t despair – this means that 76% of new citizens were NOT from the top 5 countries!
Naturalization is when a person voluntarily applies to become a permanent U.S. citizen. To apply to become a U.S. citizen through naturalization, a lawful permanent resident must have lived in the United States for five years, or three years in some cases, be fluent in English, and want to make the United States their permanent home.
The naturalization process can take a long time, and there are many steps to prepare for naturalization, which include:
To ensure that every step of your naturalization application to become an American citizen is correctly completed and provides the best opportunity for a successful outcome, a skilled immigration attorney can put their experience to work for you to achieve your American Dream. If you need help with an immigration issue, please contact our office at 630-912-0322. Godoy Law Office serves the entire Chicago, Illinois area, including DuPage, Cook, Kane, Will and Lake Counties.
Immigration Attorney Mario Godoy has years of experience guiding clients with immigration issues through the immigration process along with guiding clients through the criminal case. Godoy focuses on family-based immigration law, business immigration law, removal defense, and criminal defense representation of immigrants. A criminal charge or conviction can be devastating to your immigration case. With over a decade of immigration law experience and memories of family members who were deported due to bad legal advice, Godoy is committed to helping other immigrant families receive the legal justice they deserve. As a legal entrepreneur who practices immigration law, criminal law, estate and probate law, and running two successful law firms, Mario Godoy understands the importance of keeping families together and making a home and future in America.
