United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

New citizens stand during the National Anthem at a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization ceremony at the New York Public Library in Manhattan, New York, on July 3, 2018.

Under Trump, immigrants face increasingly long and complicated road to citizenship

Immigration

Applicants are experiencing more vetting, a proposed spike in the application fee and prolonged processing times — waits that could keep thousands of would-be US citizens from voting in the 2020 general election.

A black and white photo of people going through immigration queues

Cuccinelli’s ‘bootstraps’ line reflects historical amnesia of ‘public charge’

Immigration
A college campus

Visa rules are restricting the future of international students in the US

Man wearing glasses and dark suit stands in front of White House sign, US flag to the left

In limbo, some families in the US with H-1B visas begin to make other plans

Immigration
The Oath of Allegiance is held next to an American flag during a naturalization ceremony for citizen candidates in Washington, DC, on July 3, 2013.

What does the US citizenship exam actually test?

Development & Education
In 2012, Tarek Hamdi, from Egypt, received his US naturalization certificate. He first applied for citizenship in 2001 but faced more than a decade of delays and denials until he won his case.

A recently-uncovered federal program turned one man’s path to citizenship into a 11-year trek

Conflict & Justice

Tarek Hamdi wanted to be a US citizen. The federal government wasn’t so sure. He spent 11 years battling bureaucracy and a new federal program to get his citizenship.