The first birthday of the Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization is rapidly approaching. The program was launched U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on July 2, 2021. By signing off on one of his first executive orders, President Biden directed government agencies to work in unison for purposes of promoting naturalized citizenship in the United States. USCIS was delegated the primary responsibility of chairing what is now known as the Naturalization Working Group.
The Intention of the Strategy
The strategy report is intended to promote inclusion and diversity. It firmly acknowledges the substantial social and economic contributions that immigrants have made to the United States and its democracy, and it embraces the full participation of new citizens in our democracy. A total of 13 government agencies are involved in this group, including the Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Eliminating Barriers
The Biden administration and USCIS recognize that there were certain barriers to naturalized citizenship, so it’s their objective to develop a comprehensive approach to a clear and streamlined path to citizenship for anybody who is eligible. Efficient and fair processing of naturalization petitions are intended to significantly reduce the time frame for being approved.
Efforts to Promote Naturalization
The naturalization strategy details certain steps in its promotion of its purposes. Those steps include the following:
- Raising awareness of the importance of U.S. citizenship to immigrants.
- Encouraging civic awareness and ethnic inclusion.
- Giving immigrants opportunities and tools needed to become naturalized citizens.
- Enhancing the ability of the community to prepare immigrants for naturalized citizenship.
- The elimination of fear, apprehension and other obstacles that get in the way of immigrants who might wish to utilize citizenship resources and services.
A Clear and Coordinated Path to Citizenship
As per Department of Homeland Security Secretary Carlos Mayorkas, United States citizenship is a “tremendous privilege.” He emphasized that “new citizens strengthened with the power and responsibilities that American citizenship brings, make our nation better. He went on to state that “this strategy will assure that aspiring citizens are able to pursue naturalization through a clear and coordinated process.” More than 100 naturalization ceremonies involving more than 9,400 former immigrants to the United States will be held between June 30 and July 7, 2022.
Here at Maison Law Immigration Lawyers in Bakersfield, CA, our immigration lawyers work with foreign nationals from across the globe to help them gain entry into the United States, lawful permanent residence and naturalized citizenship. Even with the elimination of certain barriers, pursuing naturalized citizenship in the United States will still be a complicated and confusing endeavor though. Maison Law Immigration Lawyers will be pleased to work with you on your journey to U.S. citizenship. Don’t risk delay or even denial. Contact us for a consultation on your naturalized citizenship questions or concerns. Our intention is to help you make the United States an even better place for all of us to live and work in.
