“A recently naturalized citizen stands to earn 8 percent to 11 percent more over his or her lifetime.
When you multiply that by the 520,000 immigrants currently eligible to become citizens in the Miami area, the ripple effect is enormous.” — Dr. Eduardo Padrón, President of Miami-Dade College
Today, an estimated 8.8 million people are eligible to naturalize, yet only a small percentage of them naturalize each year. Barriers to naturalization include financial challenges, language barriers and lack of understanding of the naturalization process.
Read our latest paper, The Road to Naturalization: Addressing the Barriers to Citizenship.
Source: The Center for Popular Democracy, The USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration, The National Partnership forNew Americans, Citizenship: A Wise Investment for Citizens.
By promoting naturalization, we develop a diverse citizenry fully invested in and contributing to all aspects of civic and economic life in the U.S. In addition to the role of the nongovernmental sector, private interests, faith-based organizations and strong relationships with law enforcement are critical to a more vibrant citizenry. Of course, good government means continued improvement of the immigration and naturalization process so the best and the brightest new Americans contribute to our economy and unite with their families.