Indian green-card holders face US citizenship backlog of 813,000
Synopsis
The backlog of US citizenship applications has crossed 813,000, with approvals falling three months in a row and average wait times stretching to 12.7 months. For Indians — the second-largest group of new American citizens — this is not just a bureaucratic delay: it locks out voters, holds up family sponsorships, and extends an uncertainty many have already endured for decades in green-card queues.
Key Takeaways
USCIS approved just 15,349 naturalisation applications in August 2026 , down from 18,439 in June.
The pending backlog reached 813,453 in August, up from 744,412 in June; 513,462 had been waiting more than six months .
Average processing time stands at 12.7 months , with 54,492 new applications filed in August alone — over three times the approvals.
2 country of birth for new US citizens in FY2024 , with roughly 49,700 Indians naturalised ( 6.1% of the total).
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal publicly accused the administration of blocking eligible green-card holders from obtaining citizenship.
The slowdown coincides with the Trump administration's suspension of the PERM labour certification process , tightening multiple legal immigration channels.
Indian green-card holders — the second-largest group of new American citizens — are confronting a deepening slowdown in US citizenship approvals, with the backlog of pending naturalisation applications surging past 813,000 in August 2026, according to official data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The Numbers Behind the Slowdown
USCIS approved just 15,349 naturalisation applications (Form N-400) in August, down from 16,514 in July and 18,439 in June, according to the agency's monthly reports. Over the same three-month window, the backlog climbed sharply — from 744,412 in June to 778,489 in July and 813,453 in August.
Of the 813,453 applications pending in August, 513,462 had been waiting for more than six months. The average processing time stood at 12.7 months, according to USCIS figures. The agency received 54,492 new applications in August alone — more than three times the number it approved that month.
Why Indians Are Disproportionately Affected
India ranked as the No. 2 country of birth for new American citizens in fiscal year 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Homeland Security Statistics. Approximately 49,700 India-born individuals were naturalised that year, accounting for 6.1% of the total, the DHS annual flow report noted.
For many Indian professionals, the wait for citizenship is compounded by years — sometimes decades — already spent in employment-based green-card queues under per-country caps. Citizenship represents the final step that resolves uncertainties around international travel, relative sponsorship, and voting rights. A longer processing backlog means many applicants who filed in 2026 are unlikely to vote in the upcoming November midterm elections.
Congressional Pushback and Political Context
Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state and ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement, has publicly flagged the slowdown on X. Citing data compiled by David Bier of the Cato Institute, Jayapal accused the administration of 'blocking off people who… are green card holders… waiting for their citizenship approval.' Jayapal is herself a naturalised citizen, born in Chennai.
USCIS has not provided an explanation for the decline in approvals in its monthly data releases.
Broader Immigration Tightening Under the Trump Administration
The slowdown comes amid a wider tightening of legal immigration channels under the Trump administration, including the suspension of the PERM labour certification process used in employment-based green cards — a step that has drawn particular concern from Indian technology professionals. This is not the first time Indian applicants have borne the brunt of administrative bottlenecks; per-country caps have kept Indian nationals in green-card backlogs stretching up to several decades.
Under US law, lawful permanent residents generally become eligible to apply for citizenship after five years, or three years if married to a US citizen. Applicants must clear English and civics tests and attend an in-person interview.
What Applicants Can Do Now
Immigration lawyers have advised applicants to file complete, error-free applications and keep their addresses current with USCIS to minimise avoidable delays. With intake running at more than three times the approval rate, advocates warn the backlog is unlikely to shrink without a significant operational shift at the agency. All eyes are now on whether the administration will respond to mounting congressional pressure — or let the queue grow further into the election season.
Point of View
And the agency has offered no explanation. For Indian applicants, this is a double penalty — they already waited years or decades for green cards under per-country caps, and now face a second queue at the citizenship stage. The political dimension is sharper than it appears: a deepening backlog before midterms effectively disenfranchises a growing bloc of eligible voters. Congressional pressure from Jayapal is visible, but without a clear administrative response or resourcing commitment from USCIS, the queue will only lengthen.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are US citizenship approvals slowing down for Indian green-card holders?
USCIS approved 15,349 naturalisation applications in August 2026, down from 18,439 in June, while new filings reached 54,492 in August — more than three times the approvals. The agency has not publicly explained the cause of the decline, but it coincides with broader tightening of legal immigration channels under the Trump administration.
How large is the current USCIS citizenship application backlog?
The backlog stood at 813,453 pending applications in August 2026, up from 744,412 in June. Of those, 513,462 had been waiting more than six months, and the average processing time was 12.7 months, according to USCIS monthly data.
How many Indians become US citizens each year?
Approximately 49,700 India-born individuals were naturalised in fiscal year 2024, accounting for 6.1% of all new US citizens that year, according to the Department of Homeland Security. India ranked second among all countries of birth for new American citizens.
What has Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said about the slowdown?
Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state and ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement, posted on X citing data from the Cato Institute, accusing the administration of 'blocking off people who… are green card holders… waiting for their citizenship approval.' She is herself a naturalised US citizen born in Chennai.
What can Indian green-card holders do to avoid further delays?
Immigration lawyers advise applicants to file complete and error-free Form N-400 applications and keep their address current with USCIS. Eligibility generally begins after five years of lawful permanent residence, or three years for those married to a US citizen, with applicants required to pass English and civics tests and attend an interview.
