×
×
Menu
Search

2017 Sees Slow-Moving Processing Times for U.S. Citizenship Applications

HomeNews & Events2017 Sees Slow-Moving Processing Times for U.S. Citizenship Applications
READ FROM US

Immigration News & Events

Categories

Archives

2017 Sees Slow-Moving Processing Times for U.S. Citizenship Applications

Share This Post: facebooktwitterLinkedIn

Becoming a United States citizen is a memorable and meaningful experience—one that brings with it the right to obtain a U.S. passport to travel internationally and to seek protection and assistance from the U.S. government when abroad, the ability to serve on a jury when summoned, the ability to serve the country if and when required, and the right to vote in local, state, and national elections. However, becoming a U.S. citizen is not always an easy process, and it is never as simple as just “getting in line,” though waiting in line is certainly part of the journey.

In the months since the 2016 presidential election, more than 1 million lawful permanent residents have applied for U.S. citizenship, an increase of 10.5 percent from the previous year. The president and executive director of the nonprofit organization, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), told the Huffington Post in an interview this month that, “Because of the anti-immigrant and xenophobic rhetoric during the presidential campaign, individuals [have] felt an urgent need to obtain the benefits and protections of citizenship …. We have seen people who have had green cards for 20-30 years coming out to our citizenship workshops.”

Indeed, across all of its service centers, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been experiencing a backlog in processing petitions and applications for immigration benefits. For U.S. citizenship applications, it is reported that the agency has seen a slow-down of more than 35 percent from 2016 to 2017. This means that the average processing times for applications for citizenship, also known as naturalization, have nearly doubled in the last year. This has occurred as USCIS has begun using a new, lengthier application form for naturalization and as more immigrants have begun to react to “the current climate of insults and threats toward immigrants, and increased immigration enforcement by this administration.” For these reasons, at most service centers right now, a person seeking citizenship can expect to wait longer than a year to get to the interview stage and to have the opportunity to take the oath to become a U.S. citizen.

If you have questions about your eligibility to naturalize or other immigration options, and you are not already represented by Joseph & Hall P.C. in your immigration matters, please contact our office at (303) 297-9171 or click here to schedule a consultation so we can review your case and your options. If you are already a client of Joseph & Hall P.C. and have questions about your case, please contact your attorney to discuss your particular case.

On October 23, 2017, Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) introduced a new bill, the Agricultural Guestworker Act (H.R. 4092), which would replace the current H-2A agricultural worker program with an H-2C…

30Oct

As most people are aware, on September 5, 2017, the Trump administration announced that DACA will be rescinded on March 5, 2018. Applicants with DACA had until October 5 to…

17Nov

PERSONAL TOUCH AND SUPERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

Recognized Leaders In
Immigration Law

Joseph & Hall P.C. is a full-service immigration law firm. We pride ourselves on being nationwide experts in all areas of immigration law, including the practice areas listed below. Our attorneys frequently are asked to speak both locally and nationally on a wide variety of immigration topics. For an overview of each practice area, please click the links below. If you have any questions about how these practice areas may apply to your case, please do not hesitate to contact our firm.

OUR AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

We Are Committed to Your Dreams.

Countless people dream of becoming a U.S. citizen. If your application was rejected by the USCIS, we are here to fight for your best interests.

Get in touch with us. Write us a message.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
×
×
Tap Here To Schedule An Appointment
It's Fast & Easy