Naturalization Delays

USCIS has suggested that, due to a surge in the number of Naturalization applications, the processing times are going to be substantially increased. Instead of a 7-9 month process, it is likely that it will be 18-24 months.

In his testimony before the House committee, Gonzalez said: “This surge will have a serious impact on application processing times for the next couple of years. As a result, based on our response plan, most customers will wait much longer to have their applications completed. As we have reported, the average processing time for naturalization applications has increased from the current average of seven months or less to approximately 18 months. Family-based adjustment-of-status applications increased from the current average of six months or less to 12 months. Our two-year response plan will help us accomplish reducing processing times to six months by the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2010.

Director Gonzalez has suggested that the delay is due to the dramatic increase in the filing fees as well as political uncertainty. However another possibility is that immigration attorneys are advocating naturalization far more than in years passed due to growing anti-immigrant sentiment that is sweeping the US as well as strict measures that impact permanent residents such as the PATRIOT ACT. It is far more common today, than in years passed, for a permanent resident to be deported and the only true guard against this is naturalization.

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