More than 90,000 Africans obtain U.S. citizenship each year. This nation dominates

More than 277,000 Africans obtained US citizenship between 2021 and 2023, 39,000 of whom were Nigerians, according to data released by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Nigerians made up about 14% of all naturalized Africans during this period. Migrants from this West African country are also the largest group of Africans who have obtained U.S. citizenship through military service in the U.S. Army, a process known as military naturalization. Between 2020 and 2024, 3,270 Nigerian soldiers obtained U.S. citizenship this way, and more than 900 last year.

To obtain U.S. citizenship, applicants must be at least 18 years old, submit Form N-400, and pass a background check, interviews, and English and social studies tests. Most applicants must have five years of permanent residence and at least 30 months of physical presence on U.S. soil. Applicants must also demonstrate good moral character and a commitment to the Constitution.

A naturalized immigrant receives, among other things, the right to vote and participate in civic life, comparable to the rights of persons born in the United States.

In 2023, the United States naturalized 878,460 people, a decrease from 2022, when 969,380 people were granted citizenship.

The granting of citizenship to foreign nationals in the United States is based on the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. (PAP)

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