Nearly a million people became new citizens of the United States in the past year : NPR
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About 967,400 adult immigrants took the oath of allegiance and became U.S. citizens in the last fiscal year, according to a report. new report issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The record high comes as the federal government’s efforts to reduce a backlog have been made worse by the pandemic.
There are only two other times in U.S. history when the number of adults naturalizing was greater than fiscal year 2022. In 1996, approximately 1,040,000 adults became U.S. citizens, and in 2008, approximately 1,040,000 adults became U.S. citizens. 1,046,000 naturalized adults, according to data from Department of Homeland Security.
The tally of those who were given the oath of allegiance in fiscal year 2022 includes data from October 2021 to September 2022. However, it does not include children who were able to obtain citizenship through their parents. In total, 1,023,200 adults and children became US citizens in 2022.
Most people are qualified become a U.S. citizen after they have lived in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for at least 5 years. Spouses of U.S. citizens can naturalize after three years. There is also a pathway to citizenship for those who have served in the army.
In 2022, USCIS issued an increasing number of visas compared to previous years
Every year, the US grants green cards to hundreds of thousands of foreign workers and their family members. In 2022, USCIS issued a total of 275,000 employment-based visas, nearly double the number of employment-based visas issued in 2019.
Over the years, the skilled workers from China and India made up a significant portion of these visas. But recently, the number of visas issued to Indians has outstripped the number of visas issued to workers from China. Between 2019 and 2022, the number of visas issued to Indians has increased fivefold. This financial year, they account for a third of all employment-based visas.
In 2022, USCIS has also expanded the number available H-2B . visa, which allows American companies to hire temporary foreign workers for off-farm jobs. Businesses from resorts to seafood processors often rely on this program to recruit their seasonal employees.
The demand for temporary workers has only increased during the pandemic. USCIS typically issues 66,000 H-2B visas each year. In 2022, the federal agency added 65,000 won more visa positions to respond to the labor market.
Due to COVID and the hiring shutdown, the total USCIS backlog has doubled by the end of 2021.
In 2022, with the help of a spike in hiring, USCIS says its backlog has decreased by 62%. The federal agency says its goal is to permanently eliminate the backlogs.