In 2022, 65,960 Indians became US citizens, ranking India second after Mexico in providing new citizens, according to a Congressional report.
This reflects the ongoing trend of Indian migration to the US, driven by economic opportunities, quality of life, political or social uncertainties, and the pursuit of the American dream.
In fiscal year 2022, 969,380 individuals were naturalized as US citizens, with Mexicans (128,878), Indians (65,960), Filipinos (53,413), Cubans (46,913), Dominicans (34,525), Vietnamese (33,246), and Chinese (27,038) leading the numbers.
The high rate of naturalization, especially among Indians, highlights the appeal of US citizenship for immigrants.
As of 2023, India had the second-largest foreign-born American population after Mexico, with 2,831,330 individuals.
However, 42% of Indian-born foreign nationals in the US are ineligible for citizenship, while around 290,000 Indian-born individuals with Green Cards or Legal Permanent Residency (LPR) are eligible for naturalization.
Despite a sizable Indian diaspora, many face barriers to citizenship, such as residency requirements or legal status issues.
Concerns have also been raised about processing backlogs for naturalization applications by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), although pending applications have decreased significantly from 943,000 to 408,000, since FY2020.
To qualify for naturalization, applicants must meet eligibility requirements, including being a lawful permanent resident for at least five years.
These stringent criteria emphasize the importance of legal status and adherence to immigration laws in obtaining US citizenship.
