Washington: In 2022, nearly 66,000 Indians officially became citizens of the United States, marking India as the second-largest source country for new citizens after Mexico, according to a recent Congressional report.
The report, released by the independent Congressional Research Service (CRS), highlights that out of the estimated 46 million foreign-born individuals residing in the United States in 2022, approximately 24.5 million, or 53 percent, reported their status as naturalized citizens.
The fiscal year 2022 saw a total of 969,380 individuals becoming naturalized US citizens, with Mexico leading the tally, followed by India, the Philippines, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.
Based on the latest data, Mexico accounted for the highest number of naturalizations at 128,878, followed by India with 65,960, the Philippines with 53,413, Cuba with 46,913, the Dominican Republic with 34,525, Vietnam with 33,246, and China with 27,038.
As of 2023, the CRS report indicates that there were 2,831,330 foreign-born American nationals from India, making it the second-largest group after Mexico, which had 10,638,429 nationals. China followed with 2,225,447 foreign-born American nationals.
However, despite these figures, the report points out that around 42 percent of India-born foreign nationals living in the US are currently ineligible to become US citizens.
As of 2023, approximately 290,000 India-born foreign nationals who held Green Cards or Legal Permanent Residency (LPR) status were potentially eligible for naturalization.
While USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) has been facing processing backlogs for naturalization applications, the agency has managed to reduce the number of pending applications significantly.
By the end of FY2023, USCIS had approximately 408,000 pending naturalization applications, down from 550,000 at the end of FY2022, indicating progress in backlog reduction efforts.
Despite these strides, the number of individuals applying for citizenship remains lower than the estimated population of 9 million LPRs eligible for naturalization in 2023.
The CRS report also highlights variations in the percentage of naturalized foreign-born individuals by country of origin, with immigrants from Vietnam, the Philippines, Russia, Jamaica, and Pakistan having the highest percentages.
To be eligible for naturalization, applicants must meet certain criteria outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), including being a lawful permanent resident for at least five years.
As immigration continues to shape the demographic landscape of the United States, these trends underscore the diverse origins and pathways to citizenship for millions of foreign-born individuals seeking to call America their home.