More than 34,000 Nigerians were naturalised as U.S. citizens between 2020 and 2022, according to a new Naturalisations Annual Flow Report released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The report, compiled by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, places Nigeria 15th globally among the top 20 countries of birth for individuals who became American citizens during the three-period.
Rising Trend in U.S. Citizenship Among Nigerians
A total of 34,289 Nigerians acquired U.S. citizenship through naturalisation over the period, reflecting a 58.8% increase in naturalisations from Nigeria. In 2020, 8,930 Nigerians were naturalised — 1.4% of the total 628,258 U.S. naturalisations. This number rose to 10,921 in 2021, despite a processing backlog due to COVID-19 disruptions, and jumped further to 14,438 in 2022, the highest in Nigerian history.
This rise shows growing Nigerian migration trends, with Nigeria leading all African countries in naturalisations during the period.
Naturalisation is the legal pathway through which foreign-born residents become U.S. citizens after meeting eligibility criteria under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This includes background checks, civics and English tests, and continuous lawful residency.
Africa Records Fastest Growth in U.S. Naturalisations
The report revealed that Africa had the fastest-growing regional naturalisation rate, recording a 40% growth between 2021 and 2022. Following Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ranked next, with nearly 6,000 new citizens in 2022. Other African countries were listed under “All other countries.”
Regionally, 248,553 Africans were naturalised from 2020 to 2022, with Nigeria accounting for 3% of that figure.
Global Top 10 Countries for U.S. Naturalisation
Globally, the top 10 countries with the highest number of new U.S. citizens between 2020 and 2022 are:
- Mexico – 326,237
- India – 171,114
- Philippines – 135,313
- Cuba – 126,203
- Dominican Republic – 81,303
- Vietnam – 80,177
- China – 82,376
- Jamaica – 57,145
- El Salvador – 52,399
- Colombia – 48,396
Combined, these countries contributed nearly half of the 2.4 million new citizens granted U.S. nationality in the three years.
Nigerian Immigrants Fast-Tracking Citizenship
Interestingly, Nigerians spend a median of six years as lawful permanent residents before applying for citizenship, one year less than the global average, according to the report.
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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) oversees the entire process, including background checks, English and civics exams, and a mandatory oath ceremony.
USCIS notes that application volumes and approvals do not always align, as some applications are delayed or denied in later fiscal years.
The report underscores Nigeria’s strong presence in America’s immigration landscape and reflects the growing appeal of U.S. citizenship among Nigerians in diaspora.
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