Between 2020 and 2022, a total of 34,289 Nigerians were granted United States citizenship, according to the latest Naturalisation Annual Flow Report released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The report, compiled by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS), is based on official data drawn from Form N-400—the application form for U.S. citizenship—and tracks applicants through the naturalisation process, from biometric screening to the final oath ceremony.

In the 2020 fiscal year (October 2019–September 2020), 8,930 Nigerians became naturalised citizens, despite an 11-week suspension of oath ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That number increased in 2021 to 10,921, as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) cleared backlogs caused by the pandemic.

By 2022, 14,438 Nigerians took the oath of allegiance, marking an all-time high for Nigerian nationals and representing a 32% increase from the previous year.

Over the three-year period, Nigerians accounted for roughly 3% of the total 248,553 Africans who became U.S. citizens. Only two African countries—Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—appeared in the global top 30 countries of origin for U.S. naturalisations during this timeframe. The DRC followed Nigeria with close to 6,000 naturalisations in 2022, nearly double its 2021 figure.

Other African countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, and Kenya were grouped under the “All other countries” category. The report also notes that Africa recorded a 40% increase in naturalisations between 2021 and 2022—the highest regional growth globally.

Across all regions, Mexico led with 326,237 naturalisations, followed by India (171,114), the Philippines (135,313), Cuba (126,203), and the Dominican Republic (81,303). Others included Vietnam (80,177), China (82,376), Jamaica (57,145), El Salvador (52,399), and Colombia (48,396). Together, these ten countries accounted for nearly half of the 2.4 million new U.S. citizens between 2020 and 2022.

The USCIS clarified that not all applications are approved in the year they are filed, as some may be delayed or denied due to background checks, security screening, or failure to meet eligibility requirements.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, naturalisation applicants must meet several conditions, including:

  • Being at least 18 years old,
  • Holding permanent resident status for at least five years (three if married to a U.S. citizen),
  • Demonstrating continuous residence and good moral character,
  • Passing English literacy and U.S. civics tests,
  • And successfully completing background checks and interviews.

The median time Africans spend as permanent residents before naturalising is six years, slightly faster than the global average.

In 2022, the total number of U.S. naturalisations reached 969,000, a 19% rise from 2021 and a 34% increase compared to the 2010–2020 average of 721,000.

With faster case processing now in place, the report notes that Nigerian applicants who filed after October 2024 could be scheduled for oath ceremonies by summer 2025.

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