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[USAFacts]([link removed])
How long does it take to become a citizen? It depends
Welcome back to Spotlight, the once-a-month email where we focus on some [r=
eally cool data storytelling]([link removed]
-take-to-become-a-us-citizen/?utm_content=3Dsection1_text). In this edition=
, we dove deep into the complicated paths to becoming a citizen.
People who are American by birth might not know that naturalization is an e=
ndurance sport. There=E2=80=99s no one path to become a US citizen, and man=
y variables affect the amount of time required for processing, including po=
licies, paperwork, and chance. An individual=E2=80=99s application can take=
a few years or a few decades.
If you aren=E2=80=99t born into US citizenship, you first must become a law=
ful permanent resident, or a =E2=80=9Cgreen card holder.=E2=80=9D Citizensh=
ip and Immigration Services only issues green cards to people who meet cert=
ain criteria, most often through sponsorship by a family member or employer=
.
The wait can be=E2=80=A6long. And we=E2=80=99ve tracked it in a series of u=
nique, colorful visualizations.
[The family path to US citizenship]([link removed]
can-it-take-to-become-a-us-citizen/?utm_content=3Dsection1_chart)
Click through to explore in greater detail!
=E2=80=8B
-
The spouse of a US citizen had an average processing time of five years and=
four months in fiscal year 2025.
-
A US citizen=E2=80=99s immediate relatives, which includes parents and chil=
dren younger than 21, had an average wait time of seven years and four mont=
hs.
-
Siblings of US citizens can wait from 24 to more than 30 years for their ci=
tizenship applications to be processed.
Did you know?
Green card holders aren=E2=80=99t automatically placed on a path to citizen=
ship.
[Read more about the US citizenship process]([link removed]
how-long-can-it-take-to-become-a-us-citizen/?utm_content=3Dsection1_button)
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