These Latinos Are Becoming U.S. Citizens the Most—Is Your Country on the List?
Foreigners who meet the eligibility requirements can become U.S. citizens. These Latin American countries are the ones that obtain this status the most.
Being born in the United States automatically grants citizenship, but for millions of foreign-born residents, the path to becoming an American requires a process known as naturalization.
The most common route to U.S. citizenship is through lawful permanent residency, commonly known as holding a Green Card, for at least five years. In some cases, individuals can apply sooner, such as those married to a U.S. citizen for at least three years. However, there are additional eligibility requirements that must be met.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), most naturalized citizens in the 2024 fiscal year became eligible after maintaining a Green Card for the required five years. Others qualified after three years of marriage to a U.S. citizen.
Which Latin American Countries Have the Most New U.S. Citizens?
Over the past decade, the U.S. has welcomed more than 7.9 million naturalized citizens, a significant portion of whom come from Latin American countries. In the 2024 fiscal year alone, 818,500 individuals became U.S. citizens, though this represents a 7% decrease from the previous year.
Among the top 10 countries of birth for newly naturalized citizens in 2024, Mexico led the list, followed by India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Vietnam, China, El Salvador, Jamaica, and Colombia.
Where Do Most New U.S. Citizens Live?
The vast majority of newly naturalized Americans reside in just a handful of states. In 2024, 70% of all naturalized citizens lived in these 10 states:
- California
- Florida
- New York
- Texas
- New Jersey
- Illinois
- Virginia
- Georgia
- Massachusetts
- Washington
These states also have some of the largest foreign-born populations in the country.
On a city level, the top five areas where naturalized citizens resided in 2024 were:
- Miami
- Brooklyn
- The Bronx
- Houston
- Los Angeles
How Do Most People Qualify for U.S. Citizenship?
USCIS data also reveals the most common paths to naturalization. In the past fiscal year, the majority of new citizens arrived in the U.S. as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens or through family-sponsored preference categories. Other common pathways included employment-based visas, refugee and asylum programs, and the Diversity Visa Lottery.
Original article written by Corina González, translated with the assistance of AI and edited by Greg Heilman.
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