This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the nation, a record number of US permanent residents applied for US citizenship. According to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), 239,180 applications were submitted between January 1st, 2020 and March 31st, 2020.
Of these, 189,620 applications were approved, while 27,973 were denied. The high volume of applications led to a significant backlog, with 700,885 naturalization applications (N-400) pending adjudication by March 31st.
USCIS temporarily halted interviews and oath ceremonies, as well as other immigration services, from March 18th to June 4th due to the pandemic. However, the agency began reopening offices to the public for in-person services on June 4th.
