Over 34,000 Nigerians have granted US citizenship in three years

No less than 34,289 Nigerians obtained citizenship of the United States through the naturalization between 2020 and 2022, the data of the United States National Security Department have revealed.

According to the latest annual flower of naturalisations, Nigeria ranked 15th among the first 20 countries of birth for naturalized citizens in the period of three years, making it the African nation of higher rank on the list.

The report, completed by The Office of Homeland Security Statistics, draws data from the applications of the N-400 module presented by potential citizens and various USCIS systems for citizenship and immigration of the United States, including files of electronic cases and central index system.

A rupture of the figures shows that 8,930 Nigerians have become US citizens in 2020, which represent 1.4 percent of 628,258 people naturalized that year.

The number rises to 10,921 in 2021-Ua increase of 22.3 percent-to-us eliminated its backward backlog from the pandemic. By 2022, the figure increased from another 32 % to 14,438 records, the largest annual total ever recorded for Nigerian candidates.

The total three -year reflects a growth of 58.8 percent of the naturalization between the Nigerians, with the country represents three percent of all 248,553 Africans naturalized during the period.

At the regional level, the Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were the only African nations on the list of global top-30s, with the Nigeria guided the continent.

The peak of African naturalizations in general was remarkable, with the continent that recorded a 40 % jump from 2021 to 2022, the fastest growth rate among all regions globally.

On a global scale, Mexico led with 326,237 new citizens, followed by India (171.114), by the Philippines (135,313), Cuba (126,203), by the Dominican Republic (81.303), Vietnam (80.177), China (82,376), Jamaica (57.145), El Salvador (52.39). Colombia (48.396).

These 10 countries collectively represented almost half of the 2.4 million of naturalisations recorded over the three years.

While the United States’s naturalization process is governed by the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, a great change occurred following the 1965 amendment to the law, which dismantled the restrictive shares of national origin. This reform opened the doors to multiple immigrants from Asia and Africa.

Candidates must satisfy several criteria, including at least five years of permanent legal residence (or three years if married to an American citizen), a continuous residence and demonstrated competence in English and the US number.

The controls and interviews in the background are also mandatory before participating in a oath ceremony managed by a judge or a designated official.

Naturalized US citizens enjoy almost all the same rights and responsibilities as citizens by birth, including voting rights.

Reacting to the data, outdoor immigration and the defender of citizenship investments, Mr. Olofin, urged the Nigerians to explore legitimate paths to foreign citizenship, including naturalization options and investments. He observed that these moves offer significant opportunities for global mobility and economic progress.

“The Nigerians have shown resilience and adaptability in foreign environments. The growing naturalization data in the United States highlight the potential benefits of structured migratory policies and long -term planning,” said Olofin.

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