This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the United States in early 2020, a record number of green card holders sought to become US citizens. According to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), 239,180 permanent residents applied for citizenship between January 1st, 2020 and March 31st, 2020.
Of these applicants, 189,620 were approved for naturalization, while 27,973 were denied. The remaining 22,587 applications were still pending adjudication by the end of March.
However, the pandemic also led to a significant disruption in the naturalization process. On March 18th, USCIS halted interviews and oath ceremonies, as well as other immigration services, for a period of two and a half months. The agency began reopening offices to the public for in-person services, including interviews and oath ceremonies, on June 4th.
