Immigration | What is the processing time for an application for US citizenship?

Dear Mrs Walker-Huntington:

I filed for US citizenship earlier this year and I was hoping to be able to vote in the US mid-term elections. But, other than receiving a receipt notice, and having my biometrics taken, I have not heard any news from immigration about my application.

Curious

Dear Curious:

Generally, people were able to apply and be interviewed for naturalisation (citizenship) in the US in four to six months. Those fast turnaround times no longer exist. While receipt notices for citizenship applications used to say the processing time could be up to two years, people usually were approved in a few months. US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) always redirect personnel to various areas and, in so doing, often create backlogs in the areas where personnel are removed. This accounts for some of the delays in the naturalisation section of USCIS.

However, there may be some other factors involved. “ Newsweek analysis of naturalization data showed approvals fell to around 57,700 during the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2026, compared to over 200,000 in the same periods in 2024 and 2025, while pending cases soared above 742,000, according to the latest data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).” ‘Green Card Holders’ Citizenship Approvals Collapse Before Midterms’ Newsweek, October 23, 2026.

There has been outcry in the United States that the low number of naturalisation application approvals is being done on purpose in an election year.

While no one outside of USCIS really knows what is causing such a massive decline in interviews and subsequent approvals, it is important to note that the process to become a US citizen has become more stringent under the current US administration; which includes revisited background checks and social media reviews. The administration has also ramped up efforts to denaturalise people they believe should not have been approved for US citizenship. The deeper scrutiny into all applications for US citizenship includes the resumption of neighbourhood investigations. Anyone who applies for US citizenship can expect that immigration officers can contact your neighbours or co-workers to conduct “good moral character” inquiries. This can be problematic if you do not get along well with your neighbours or co-workers. An applicant can submit affidavits from friends, family and co-workers to attest to their “good moral character” when applying.

There have also been instances of cancelled oath ceremonies for those people who are fortunate enough to have had the naturalisation interview. Anyone can go to the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov and check the status of their applications and the processing times for the N400 application in the respective jurisdiction. Processing times are running around 10-15 months. If a naturalisation application is outside of processing time – either for interview or administration of the oath of citizenship, there are various legal remedies that can be taken against the US government to compel them to act on your application. These are federal cases (including a Writ of Mandamus) and you would need the assistance of an attorney who practises in US Federal Court to assist.

Dahlia A. Walker-Huntington, Esq. is a Jamaican-American attorney who practises immigration law in the United States; and family, criminal & international law in Florida. She is a mediator and former special magistrate & hearing officer in Broward County, Florida. info@walkerhuntington.com