There are nearly 9 million immigrants in the United States who are lawful permanent residents (green card holders) and eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. A study of 21 U.S. cities showed that if all eligible immigrants were to naturalize, the total income of these individuals would rise by $5.7 billion. This would also increase homeownership by over 45,000 people and boost tax revenue by $2 billion. On a national level, if half of the eligible immigrants in the U.S. naturalized, it could increase the country’s GDP by $37-52 billion each year.
However, the path to citizenship has become more challenging over time. This article explores national trends in how the government handles citizenship applications and highlights local variations in the process.
Best (and Worst) Cities for Becoming a U.S. Citizen
While U.S. citizenship trends show national challenges, there are significant differences between cities. Some places make it easier for immigrants to become citizens, with shorter wait times, efficient processing, and local USCIS field offices. Others, however, present considerable hurdles, such as long backlogs, extended wait times, and field offices that are far away.
For example, in Cleveland, Ohio, immigrants enjoy the shortest application processing times in the country (around 4 months) and high backlog completion rates (over 71%). Cleveland is ranked #1 on the index, offering the best conditions for naturalization.
In contrast, Houston, Texas, has some of the longest wait times for citizenship applications, averaging 17.3 months, and this number is expected to rise due to a low backlog completion rate (only 35%). Immigrants in Austin face similar delays but must travel over 80 miles to the nearest USCIS field office in Houston.
Top 3 Best Cities for Naturalization:
- Cleveland, OH
- Riverside, CA
- Louisville, KY
Top 3 Worst Cities for Naturalization:
- Austin, TX
- Houston, TX
- Dallas, TX
Best (and Worst) Field Offices for Citizenship Applications
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) operates 86 field offices across the country that handle citizenship applications. These offices are not evenly distributed based on immigrant populations. For instance, large metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles have multiple field offices, while other regions like Colorado or Illinois may have only one office to serve a large area.
The efficiency of a field office can significantly impact the citizenship application process. In 2017, the Cleveland field office had the fastest processing times in the country, with a median processing time of just 4 months. On the other hand, the field office in St. Paul, Minnesota, had a much slower processing time, with some applicants waiting up to 23.5 months.
Top 3 Best Field Offices:
- Cleveland, OH
- Providence, RI
- Raleigh, NC
Top 3 Worst Field Offices:
- St. Paul, MN
- Miami, FL
- Houston, TX
The Miami field office, for example, has the worst backlog completion rate in the nation (only 30.1%), and its processing times are some of the longest, averaging 16.2 months, with some applicants waiting over 21 months.
What Factors Determine the Best (and Worst) Cities and Field Offices?
This report ranks cities and field offices based on several factors:
- Backlog Completion: The percentage of applications that are processed compared to those still pending.
- Median Wait Time: The average time it takes for most applicants to complete their citizenship process.
- Distance to the Nearest Field Office: The travel distance for applicants who need to attend an interview.
For cities with multiple field offices, we averaged these factors across all the offices in the metro area. For cities with no field office, we looked at the office that applicants must travel to and consider how far it is.
In addition, we weighted the importance of these factors based on their impact on the applicant experience. Wait time was given the most weight (75%), as it is the most critical factor for most applicants. Backlog completion and travel distance were weighted less (12.5% each).
The journey to becoming a U.S. citizen can be long and complex, and the experience varies greatly depending on where you live. Immigrants in some cities, like Cleveland and Riverside, face short wait times and efficient processing, while others, like Houston and Dallas, experience long delays and difficult conditions. Understanding these differences can help immigrants navigate the citizenship process more effectively, and it highlights the need for reforms to improve access to citizenship nationwide.
