India is the second-largest country of origin for new American citizens, with 53 percent naturalized but 42 percent ineligible due to backlogs in the US.

In the previous years, 65,960 individuals from India were granted US citizenship, positioning India as the second-largest country of origin for new American citizens, following Mexico, according to a recent Congressional report. This report also noted that approximately 46 million foreign-born individuals resided in the United States, comprising about 14 percent of the total US population of 333 million, based on data from the American Community Survey by the US Census Bureau.

Of these foreign-born residents, around 24.5 million, or roughly 53 percent, identified as naturalized citizens. The latest "US Naturalization Policy" report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) for the fiscal year 2022 revealed that 969,380 individuals obtained naturalized US citizenship during that period.

The report highlighted that Mexico contributed the highest number of naturalizations, followed by India, the Philippines, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Specifically, in 2022, Mexican nationals led with 128,878 naturalizations, followed by Indians at 65,960, the Philippines at 53,413, Cuba at 46,913, the Dominican Republic at 34,525, Vietnam at 33,246, and China at 27,038.

As of 2023, CRS data indicated that 2,831,330 foreign-born American nationals originated from India, marking the second-largest group after Mexico, with 10,638,429 foreign-born American nationals. China followed with 2,225,447 foreign-born American nationals.

However, despite these numbers, the CRS report pointed out that 42 percent of India-born foreign nationals in the US are presently ineligible for US citizenship. As of 2023, approximately 290,000 India-born foreign nationals holding Green Cards or Legal Permanent Residency (LPR) were potentially eligible for naturalization.

CRS also noted concerns about backlogs in processing naturalization applications by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Although there remains a backlog, USCIS has reduced the number of pending applications significantly since FY2020, from 943,000 to about 408,000 by the end of FY2023.

In FY2023, 823,702 LPRs submitted naturalization applications, notably lower than the estimated 9 million LPRs eligible for naturalization in 2023. The naturalization rate among foreign-born individuals varies based on factors such as country of origin, with immigrants from certain countries having higher percentages of naturalized citizens than others.

To qualify for naturalization, applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), including being a lawful permanent resident (LPR) for at least five years.

The US continues attracting many foreign-born individuals seeking citizenship, with India emerging as the second-largest source country for new citizens. At the same time, there have been improvements in processing naturalization applications, but challenges such as processing backlogs persist. However, efforts by USCIS to streamline the process have resulted in a reduction in pending applications. Despite this progress, many eligible immigrants, mainly from India, still need to qualify for naturalization. Efforts to address these challenges and ensure equitable access to citizenship remain ongoing.