The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has unveiled a comprehensive overview of naturalization trends for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, offering valuable insights into becoming a U.S. citizen. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS celebrated the addition of 878,500 new citizens, marking a significant milestone in America’s history of embracing immigrants from diverse backgrounds.
The statistics underscored USCIS’s resilience in maintaining and surpassing pre-pandemic levels of naturalization application processing, with certain field offices, including Dallas, Houston, and Chicago, leading the way in facilitating citizenship ceremonies.
Among the noteworthy findings were the top five countries of birth for new citizens: Mexico, India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. These nations collectively contributed 32% of all naturalized citizens in FY 2023. Additionally, California, Texas, Florida, and New York emerged as the primary states of residence for new citizens, with over 70% settling in these regions.
Demographic insights revealed that individuals aged 30 to 44 accounted for more than 39% of naturalized citizens, with women comprising nearly 55%. The data also highlighted the diverse pathways to naturalization, with the majority meeting the lawful permanent residency (LPR) requirement for at least five years.
Furthermore, USCIS emphasized the importance of the naturalization test, which assesses English proficiency and knowledge of U.S. civics. Legal representation played a significant role in the process, with 19.3% of naturalized citizens benefitting from attorney or accredited representative assistance.
The release also shed light on the financial aspect of naturalization, revealing that 14.6% of new citizens received fee waivers, reflecting USCIS’s commitment to ensuring access to citizenship for individuals facing financial hardships.
Detailed data tables provided a comprehensive breakdown of naturalization statistics, offering insights into various factors such as country of birth, state of residence, age, gender, and class of admission. These statistics reaffirm the United States’ enduring legacy as a nation built by immigrants and underscore the inclusive nature of the naturalization process, which remains a cornerstone of American identity and diversity.
Source: USCIS
