A record setting 5,500 new Americans got their citizenship on the 4th of July weekend

The Jefferson Memorial, Principal Ballpark, The North Carolina 4th of July Celebration: The USCIS is moving its citizenship ceremonies into the public arena

Over 5,500 refugees and immigrants were given their U.S. Citizenship on July 4th, marking the largest number of naturalizations in a single day.

“Promoting citizenship and making the naturalization process accessible to all who are eligible are a beautiful extension of many ideals that birthed our nation 247 years ago,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “This holiday is always a special opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the USCIS mission and to welcome new citizens as they begin their American journey.”

During the COVID pandemic, ceremonies were usually limited to immediate family and friends. In Salt Lake City, the ceremonies were often held on the top level of the parking lot the USCIS’ office building, with family members staying in their cars.

But the agency has publicly committed to making the citizenship process faster and more celebratory. The waiting time between the dates of filing of immigrants’ N-400 application for citizenship and the date of their interviews has been dropping in most cities, sometimes as low as 10 weeks.

With these shorter intervals between filing of the application and the date of the interview, our UCSF team recommends enrolling in your online citizenship class before filing your application. That will give you more time to study and learn everything you need to have a successful citizenship interview. Our live Zoom Citizenship Classes are always free, and can be scheduled at times convenient for you.