Two more reports on application delays/denials

From the New Americans Campaign: Naturalization Policy in the First Year of the Trump Administration What Changed and What to Expect

This report reviews the impact of policy changes during the first year of the Trump administration on naturalization access, highlighting increased barriers, delays, and enforcement risks faced by lawful permanent residents (LPRs) seeking U.S. citizenship.Here's a summary:

Policy Changes and Practice Shifts

  • A pause on naturalization adjudications for nationals of 40 countries on a travel ban list began in December 2025, causing delays and cancellations of interviews and ceremonies, with no clear timeline for resolution.
  • USCIS introduced stricter enforcement measures, including issuing Notices to Appear (NTAs) to deportable naturalization applicants, a departure from previous policies that rarely used NTAs in such cases.
  • Guidance on the N-648 disability waiver was tightened, allowing more scrutiny of medical evidence, potentially leading to more denials.
  • Changes to assess good moral character (GMC) now emphasize positive attributes, raising concerns about discretionary denials, while the resumption of neighborhood investigations has increased, often targeting fee waiver fraud, adding delays and uncertainty.
  • The civics test was made more difficult, requiring applicants to answer 12 of 20 questions from a larger pool, increasing preparation burdens and causing confusion.
  • Funding for naturalization services was cut, reducing capacity at nonprofits and legal providers, while renewed focus on denaturalization—revoking citizenship—may expand grounds for loss of citizenship, increasing risks for applicants and their families.
  • Heightened enforcement has led to smaller, safer naturalization events, requiring more time and resources, and creating a need for tailored Know Your Rights information.

Naturalization Data and Trends

  • Over 840,000 people naturalized in 2025, with approvals slightly decreasing and denials rising nearly 15%, especially in late 2025, indicating growing barriers.
  • Application processing times increased from 6.4 months in January 2025 to 7.8 months in January 2026.
  • Early 2026 data show a sharp decline in approvals, with fewer naturalizations than the previous year, suggesting the full impact of recent policies is yet to be realized.
  • Proposed reforms to the Form N-400 could further lengthen and complicate the application process, discouraging eligible applicants.

Overall, these policy and practice shifts are likely to prolong processing times, increase denials, and deter eligible residents from pursuing citizenship, despite ongoing efforts by the New Americans Campaign to expand access and support lawful permanent residents.

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And from the American Immigration Council: Insights Into USCIS Backlogs and Processing Trends

AIC has compiled a "dashboard" of data on a broad range of immigration applications (including citizenship) . "The data makes clear that the USCIS has failed to keep pace with the rising number of applications and petitions it receives. Backlogs are historically high, forcing USCIS workers to spend time managing cases rather than resolving them. Longer processing times increase hardship for applicants, petitioners, and beneficiaries. They also drive repeat filings, and make outcomes less predictable."

"By bringing nearly a decade of USCIS data into one interactive view, the Council’s dashboard seeks to increase understanding of the state of the U.S. system of legal immigration. Policymakers, journalists, advocates, and the public can explore the extensive database to better understand how ill-equipped USCIS is under the current demand and how inefficiency can become a policy choice in the hands of an administration determined to allow fewer people into the United States.

Posted: to Citizenship News on Thu, May 21, 2026
Updated: Thu, May 21, 2026