Report: Huge spike in Indian immigrants wanting US citizenship
A study by the Pew Research Centre has found that India and Ecuador registered the highest spikes in immigrants wanting to become US citizens between 2005-2015. The study focused on immigrants from different countries who were eligible for US citizenship, and tracked how many eligible immigrants had actually opted for US citizenship in the period 2005-2015. Here's what it had to say.
Eligibility criteria for US citizenship
An immigrant has to be at least 18 years old, and has to have lived in the US as a lawful permanent law-abiding citizen for at least five years (three years if married to a US citizen) to be eligible for US citizenship.
India and Ecuador have seen highest spikes
India and Ecuador both saw a significant increase of almost 12% in the number of eligible immigrants wanting US citizenship between 2005 and 2015. Naturalization rates among Indian immigrants increased from 69% in 2005 to 80% in 2015, while naturalization rates among Ecuadorian immigrants increased from 56% to 68% in the same period.
Stagnant or falling naturalization rates among Chinese, Cuban, Honduran immigrants
The study found that the highest naturalization rates in 2015 were found among immigrants from Vietnam (86%) and Iran (85%). Interestingly, the study also found that naturalization rates among immigrants from China, Cuba, and Honduras had either declined or remained stagnant in the period 2005-2015. In the same period, overall naturalization rates among immigrants in the US had increased from 62% to 67%.
