India Emerges as Second-Largest Source of New US Citizens, Congressional Report Reveals

Indians in the US: According to the latest Congressional report, India has emerged as the second-largest source country for new US citizens, following Mexico. A total of 65,960 Indians officially became US citizens, showcasing the growing trend of Indian immigrants seeking citizenship in America.

The report highlights that approximately 46 million foreign-born individuals were residing in the United States in 2022, representing around 14 per cent of the total US population of 333 million. Among these, 24.5 million individuals, constituting about 53 per cent, reported their status as naturalised citizens.

Mexico leading the pack

In the fiscal year 2022, a significant number of individuals, totalling 969,380, were naturalized as US citizens. Mexico led the pack in terms of the highest number of naturalizations, followed closely by India, the Philippines, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

Breaking down the data further, Mexico saw 128,878 of its nationals becoming American citizens, with India trailing behind at 65,960. Other countries such as the Philippines, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, and China also contributed substantial numbers to the naturalization figures.

As of 2023, India ranked second in terms of the total number of foreign-born American nationals, with 2,831,330 individuals, following Mexico with 10,638,429. China came in third with 2,225,447 foreign-born American nationals.

However, despite the significant numbers, the report also highlights that a considerable portion 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 holding Green Cards or Legal Permanent Residency (LPR) were potentially eligible for naturalization.

The report also touches upon concerns regarding processing backlogs for naturalization applications by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Although there has been a backlog of applications since fiscal year 2020, the agency has made strides in reducing the number of pending applications.

In fiscal year 2023, USCIS received naturalization applications from 823,702 LPRs, although this number remains below the estimated population of 9 million LPRs eligible for naturalization in 2023. The report notes that the percentage of naturalized foreign-born individuals varies by country of origin, with factors such as immigration laws and historical trends playing a significant role.

Overall, the road to naturalization in the US involves fulfilling specific eligibility requirements outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), including being a lawful permanent resident (LPR) for at least five years.

With PTI Inputs