The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published 22 new fact sheets to encourage green card holders to apply for citizenship in the United States. These fact sheets are a great source of data on naturalization-eligible green card holders based on demographic information including age, years of permanent residence, birth country, and others.
USCIS collected the information for these fact sheets from green card holders in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. It is part of the United States government’s larger effort to accelerate naturalization and ensure green card holders know what their rights are and the advantages of citizenship in the U.S.
Why These Fact Sheets Matter
The publication of these 22 fact sheets is one more attempt to incentivize green card holders to naturalize. Through this transparent transparency, USCIS is working to make naturalization more accessible to more people who would become U.S. citizens.
Indeed, boosting naturalization rates has been one of the Biden administration’s top agenda items from day one. “Shaping a National Strategy to Enable Naturalization” was part of President Biden’s first executive order on immigration reform. This is the government as well as local efforts to advance citizenship and access.
The Benefits of U.S. Citizenship
U.S. citizens have all sorts of privileges, including the right to vote, government employment, and granting green cards to family members. The security of permanent status and non-deportation is likewise granted to naturalized citizens. With these fact sheets, USCIS is helping educate citizens about the benefits of U.S. citizenship and gives green card holders all the details they need to get started on their naturalization journey.
Community and Nonprofit Involvement
This naturalization push isn’t a government program. It is an area where many nonprofits and community-based organizations are trying to make citizenship more available and educate immigrant populations. For instance, the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), a major immigration advocacy group, recently started a digital drive to get Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) green card holders to become citizens. The effort is one in a wave of immigrant communities working with the US Government to make naturalization a little easier.
Where Does Naturalization Go Next in the U.S.?
USCIS is also still aiming for transparency and openness for those who want to become citizens of the United States. Aside from these new “Eligible to Naturalize” fact sheets, USCIS releases data reports regularly with statistics on who has received the naturalization decision. This encourages more public transparency and confidence in the system which makes it easier for the next applicant.
In this outreach, green card holders will be urged to verify whether they are in the position to apply for citizenship and complete the next steps in their immigration process. For those green card holders who aren’t sure if they are eligible for naturalization, check with the USCIS or contact an immigration professional to get started.
New USCIS fact sheets help Green Card holders learn how to apply for U.S. citizenship. In announcing clear, practical information about naturalization, government and nonprofit institutions are co-creating the possibility of citizenship for eligible immigrants. : If you or someone you know is a green card holder, now is perhaps the time to see if you can become naturalized and gain the full blessings of American citizenship.
