Longer Citizenship Waits Raise Concern For Indian Green Card Holders
WASHINGTON, DC- Indian green-card holders seeking US citizenship are facing a slowdown in naturalization approvals, with the backlog of pending applications crossing 813,000 in August, according to official data.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved 15,349 naturalization applications (Form N-400) in August, down from 16,514 in July and 18,439 in June, according to the agency’s monthly reports.
Over the same period, pending applications rose from 744,412 in June to 778,489 in July and 813,453 in August.
Of the applications pending in August, 513,462 had been waiting for more than six months. The average processing time stood at 12.7 months, USCIS data showed.
The agency received 54,492 new applications in August, more than three times the number it approved that month.
The slowdown is significant for Indians in the US, who make up one of the largest groups of new American citizens. India was the second-largest country of birth among people naturalized in fiscal year 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Homeland Security Statistics.
About 49,700 people born in India became US citizens that year, accounting for 6.1 per cent of all naturalizations, the department’s annual report showed.
US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state and a naturalized citizen born in Chennai, has raised concerns about the slowdown on X.
Citing data compiled by David Bier of the Cato Institute, Jayapal accused the administration of “blocking off people who… are green card holders… waiting for their citizenship approval.” She is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement.
USCIS did not provide a reason for the decline in approvals in its monthly data.
The slowdown comes amid broader restrictions on legal immigration under the Trump administration, including the suspension of the PERM labor certification process used in employment-based green-card applications. The policy changes have raised concerns among Indian professionals, although USCIS has not linked them to the decline in naturalization approvals.
Lawful permanent residents generally become eligible to apply for US citizenship after five years, or after three years if married to a US citizen. Applicants must pass English and civics tests and complete an interview.
For many Indians who have waited years or even decades for employment-based green cards because of per-country limits, naturalization is the final step towards greater certainty over travel and sponsoring relatives.
The longer processing times could also affect green-card holders hoping to vote in the November midterm elections. Applicants must become US citizens before they can vote in federal elections, and those awaiting naturalization may be unable to meet applicable state registration deadlines.
Immigration lawyers advise applicants to submit complete applications and keep their addresses current with USCIS to help avoid additional delays. (IANS)
