USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 1

Characteristics of 

People Who Naturalized

Between FY 2009 

and FY 2014

Office of Policy and Strategy

February 2016
USCIS | OFFICE OF POLICY AND STRATEGY | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 1

Characteristics of People Who Naturalized Between 

FY 2009 and FY 2014

FEBRUARY 2016

OVERVIEW

Over 4.2 million people became U.S. citizens between fiscal years (FY) 2009 and 2014.1 This fact sheet

summarizes data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization records and the

U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to provide information on the demographic and 

economic characteristics of these new citizens.2

Appendix tables 1 through 8 show region and country of birth, years in lawful permanent resident (LPR) 

status prior to naturalization, age, gender, marital status, and class of admission to the United States.

Table 9 presents estimates of educational attainment and median income. 

On average, nearly 710,000 individuals naturalized each year in the FY 2009-2014 period, with annual 

totals ranging from 619,913 to 779,982. The yearly number of naturalizations depends both on

operational factors, such as application processing times, and other factors such as the number of LPRs

eligible to naturalize at any given time, and their motivation to apply and ability to pay the associated 

fees.3 

REGION AND COUNTRY OF BIRTH

People from Asia comprised the largest share of naturalizations, followed by North America, the 

Caribbean, and Europe. Compared to the FY 2000-2008 period, the proportion of people naturalizing

that were born in Africa and South America increased, while the proportion born in Asia and North 

America decreased slightly. 

The top five countries of birth were Mexico, India, the Philippines, China, and the Dominican Republic.4 

Starting in FY 2012, the Dominican Republic replaced Vietnam as the fifth largest origin country of 

citizens who naturalized in the FY 2009-2014 period. The proportion of individuals born outside of the 

top five countries of origin increased slightly compared to the FY 2000-2008 period, suggesting that the 

origins of naturalized citizens are becoming more diverse.

 

1 The federal FY begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. For example, FY 2014 was October 1, 2013, through September 30, 2014. 

The number of naturalizations excludes individuals under 18 years of age, as they derive citizenship when a parent naturalizes. 2 This is an update to the fact sheet produced by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics on characteristics 

of people who naturalized between FYs 1980 and 2008. This updated fact sheet also includes data on naturalized citizens’ marital status and 

class of admission.

3 Filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, costs $595, plus an $85 biometrics fee where applicable. The filing fee may be waived, if 

the applicant can demonstrate an inability to pay. There is no charge for filing the N-400 through service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Updated 

information about Form N-400 can be found at: https://www.uscis.gov/n-400. 4 This order was generally consistent except in 2012.
USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 2

Map and Graph 1

Leading Countries of Birth (Percent of Total)

MEDIAN YEARS IN LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS

For everyone who naturalized between FY 2009 and FY 2014, the median length of time spent in LPR 

status ranged from 6-7 years – down from a median of 8 years in FY 2000-2008. African- and Asianborn immigrants spent less time as LPRs (5-6 years), while those born in the Caribbean and Central 

America spent more time (9-10 years). Immigrants from North America (Canada and Mexico) tended to 

wait the longest (11-14 years) before naturalizing. 

Graph 2

Median Years in Lawful Permanent Resident Status by Region of Birth

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

'00-'08 Avg

'09'10'11'12'13'14

Africa

'00-'08 median: 6

'09-'14 median: 5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

'00-'08 Avg

'09'10'11'12'13'14

Europe

'00-'08 average: 7

'09-'14 average: 7

'00-'08 Avg

'09'10'11'12'13'14

Asia

'00-'08 median: 7

'09-'14 median: 6

'00-'08 Avg

'09'10'11'12'13'14

North America

'00-'08 average: 11

'09-'14 average: 12

'00-'08 Avg

'09'10'11'12'13'14

Caribbean

'00-'08 median: 10

'09-'14 median: 9 '00-'08 Avg '09 '10 '11 '12

'13'14

Oceania

'00-'08 average: 9

'09-'14 average: 8

'00-'08 Avg

'09'10'11'12'13'14

Central America

'00-'08 median: 10

'09-'14 median: 10 '00-'08 Avg '09 '10 '11 '12

'13'14

South America

'00-'08 average: 8

'09-'14 average: 6
USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 3

Compared to the FY 2000-2008 period, the 

median number of years in LPR status stayed 

the same or decreased for immigrants from four 

of the top five countries of birth: Mexico, India, 

the Philippines, and China. People from the 

Dominican Republic, the fifth-largest origin of 

naturalizing citizens between FY 2009 and FY 

2014, spent more time in LPR status (15 years) 

than Dominicans who naturalized between FY 

2000 and FY 2008 (13 years).

Graph 3

Median Years in Lawful Permanent 

Resident Status by Leading Countries of 

Birth, 

FY 2009-2014

AGE, GENDER, AND MARITAL STATUS

The median age at naturalization was 39 in FYs 2010 and 2011, and 40 in FYs 2009, 2012, 2013, and 

2014. This is similar to the median age (39) during the FY 2000-2008 period. The prime age range for 

naturalization was 25-49. However, almost 30 percent of new citizens were age 50 or over.

Graph 4

Age at Naturalization

The proportion of females in the naturalizing population was about 10 percentage points higher than the 

proportion of males. This difference is mainly because approximately 100,000 more females than males 

attain LPR status each year, mostly as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. Thus, more females become

eligible to naturalize. Most (65 percent) of the individuals who naturalized were married.

15

12

6

6

6

Dominican Republic

Mexico

India

Philippines

China

39

10.2

12.0

13.5

15.5

12.9

9.6

7.5

6.2

4.6

8.0

40

9.3

12.2

13.3

14.7

13.0

9.9

8.1

6.7

4.8

8.2

Median Age

18-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65 and Over

FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014

Percent
USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 4

CLASS OF ADMISSION 

The majority of people who naturalized came to the United States as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens

or through family-sponsored preference categories. Compared to FY 2000-2008, a higher percentage of 

the total naturalizations in FY 2009-2014 were by immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. A lower 

percentage of total naturalizations were by people admitted through family-sponsored preferences such as 

married sons or daughters of U.S. citizens. The naturalization numbers reflect a trend in overall 

admissions between the FY 2000-2008 and FY 2009-2014 periods: The number of immediate relatives 

of U.S. citizens grew in proportion to total admissions whereas the number of admissions through familysponsored preferences declined.5

Compared to FY 2000-2008, people who were admitted as refugees or asylees before adjusting their 

status to LPR comprised larger percentages of total naturalizations. This increase can be attributed to The

REAL ID Act of 2005, which eliminated the annual cap of 10,000 asylee adjustments to LPR status. The 

initial surge of asylees who adjusted their status became eligible to naturalize (and started doing so) in 

2010. 

Graph 5

Class of Admission (Percent of Total)67

Compared to FY 2000-2008, persons admitted for employment-based reasons comprised larger 

percentages of total naturalizations. In part this is because these persons made up a larger proportion of 

the population who became eligible to naturalize each year: an average of 15 percent in FY 2009-2014

compared to 12 percent in FY 2000-2008.

 

5 In FY 2000-2008, 36 percent of LPRs who became eligible to naturalize each year had been admitted as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. 

In FY 2009-2014, this figure rose to 41 percent. For LPRs admitted through family-sponsored preferences, the corresponding percentage 

dropped from 33 to 18.

6 Preference categories apply to family members who are not immediate relatives, such as adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, 

brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens, and adult sons and daughters of permanent residents. The visas allotted for these categories are 

subject to annual numerical limits. A visa becomes available to a preference category based on the priority date. In family immigration, this 

is generally the date a petition was filed with USCIS.

7 The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 legalized unauthorized immigrants who entered the United States before 1982, 

had resided in the United States continuously, and did not owe back taxes or have a criminal record. Today the number of naturalizations of 

people who became LPRs under the IRCA is declining.

27.2

35.5

23.9

18.6

12.4

14.5 12.7

15.8 15.5

11.9

8.0

4.0

Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens

Family preferences6

Other (diversity, parole, etc.)

Employment preferences

Refugees and asylees

IRCA7

FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014 
USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 5

MEDIAN INCOME AND EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF NATURALIZED CITIZENS BY YEAR OF 

NATURALIZATION

Income and levels of education were fairly consistent between citizens who naturalized in the FY 2000-

2008 period and citizens who naturalized in the FY 2009-2014 period. The median household income of 

citizens who naturalized in FY 2009-2014 period was $55,000 – the same as that of the general 

population. Newly naturalized citizens’ median family income was about $7,500 lower than the general 

population median.8

Graph 6

Income for Naturalized Citizens Age 25 and Older

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2008 and 2014 1-year estimates

Nearly 20 percent of people age 25 and over who naturalized in the FY 2009-2014 period did not have a 

high school diploma or its equivalent. This proportion is higher than the general population average of 

13.1 percent but slightly lower than the FY 2000-2008 percentage.

 

8 Household income is the combined pretax income of all persons living in a household, whether or not they are related to each other. 

Family income is the combined pretax income of all persons living in a household who are related to the household head. People living 

alone are counted as households, but not as families. The median incomes for the general population include foreign-born individuals.
USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 6

Naturalized citizens are also more likely than the general population to hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. 

Over 35 percent of those who naturalized during FY 2009-2014 had a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional 

degree, while the general population average9 was 30 percent. 

Graph 7

Educational Attainment for Naturalized Citizens Age 25 and Older

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Surveys, 2008 and 2014

 

 

9 The general population average is for all persons living in the United States age 25 and over, including foreign-born individuals.
USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 7

APPENDIX

Table 1

Region of Birth 

Total Naturalizations 675,234/yr. 708,100/yr. 743,714 619,913 694,191 757,433 779,928 653,416

Region of Birth (percent of total)

Africa 5.4 9.5 8.1 10.3 10.1 9.9 9.2 9.5

Asia 38.4 36.3 37.2 40.6 36.0 33.9 35.4 35.7

Caribbean 11.0 12.7 11.4 10.1 11.5 14.5 15.5 12.8

Central Americaa 5.8 5.2 5.9 4.2 4.9 5.4 5.5 5.5

Europe 13.5 11.4 12.1 12.6 11.8 10.9 10.3 10.9

North Americab 17.8 14.7 16.3 12.2 15.0 14.7 13.9 15.8

Oceaniac 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5

South America 7.4 9.5 8.3 9.4 10.2 10.2 9.8 9.3

Unknown 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0

Total percentages may not equal 100 because of rounding.

Source: USCIS Form N-400 naturalization data, FY 2000 - 2014.

a Central America comprises Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

b North America comprises Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

c Oceania includes Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, 

New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and surrounding island countries.

Table 2

Leading Countries of Birth (Percent of Total)

Total percentages may not equal 100 because of rounding.

Source: USCIS Form N-400 naturalization data, FY 2000 - 2014.

Year of Naturalization FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Year of Naturalization FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Mexico 16.5 13.3 15.0 10.8 13.7 13.5 12.7 14.5

India 6.2 7.0 7.1 9.9 6.6 5.7 6.4 5.8

Philippines 5.7 5.7 5.2 5.7 6.1 5.9 5.6 5.3

China 5.1 4.8 5.0 5.5 4.7 4.2 4.5 4.6

Dominican Republic 3.0 3.6 2.8 2.5 3.0 4.4 5.1 3.6

All Other Countries 63.5 65.6 63.5 65.0 65.9 67.6 65.6 66.2
USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 8

Table 3

Median Years in Lawful Permanent Resident Status by Region of Birth

Recently naturalized citizens of unknown region of birth comprise less than 0.01 percent of totals. 

Source: USCIS Form N-400 naturalization data, FY 2000 - 2014. 

Table 4

Median Years in Lawful Permanent Resident Status by Leading Countries of Birth

Source: USCIS Form N-400 naturalization data, FY 2000 - 2014. 

Table 5

Age at Naturalization

Total percentages may not equal 100 because of rounding. Recently naturalized citizens of unknown age comprise less than 0.10 

percent of totals. 

Source: USCIS Form N-400 naturalization data, FY 2000 - 2014.

a Generally, people must be 18 years of age or over to be eligible to naturalize.

Year of Naturalization FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

All Regions 8 7 7 6 6 7 7 7

Africa 6 5 6 5 5 5 5 6

Asia 7 6 6 5 6 6 6 6

Caribbean 10 9 10 9 9 9 9 9

Central America 10 10 9 9 10 10 10 10

Europe 7 7 7 6 6 7 7 8

North America 11 12 14 11 11 11 11 12

Oceania 9 8 8 7 7 8 8 9

South America 8 6 6 5 6 6 6 7

Year of Naturalization FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Mexico 11 12 15 11 12 11 11 12

India 7 6 6 5 6 6 6 6

Philippines 8 6 6 6 6 6 7 7

China 7 6 6 5 5 6 6 6

Dominican Republic 13 15 15 14 15 15 16 14

Year of Naturalization FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Age at Naturalizationa

Median Age (years) 39 40 40 39 39 40 40 40

Age at Naturalization (percent of total)

18-24 10.2 9.3 8.2 9.6 9.8 9.6 9.2 9.1

25-29 12.0 12.2 11.7 12.6 12.4 12.4 12.2 12.1

30-34 13.5 13.3 13.6 14.2 13.2 12.9 12.9 12.9

35-39 15.5 14.7 15.8 16.5 14.6 13.8 13.8 13.6

40-44 12.9 13.0 13.2 13.3 12.8 12.8 12.9 12.9

45-49 9.6 9.9 10.1 9.7 9.8 9.8 9.9 10.0

50-54 7.5 8.1 7.9 7.3 8.1 8.3 8.4 8.5

55-59 6.2 6.7 6.8 5.9 6.5 6.9 6.9 6.9

60-64 4.6 4.8 4.9 4.1 4.5 4.9 5.1 5.1

65 and Over 8.0 8.2 7.8 6.9 8.1 8.7 8.9 8.9
USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 9

Table 6

Gender (Percent of Total) 

Total percentages may not equal 100 because of rounding. Recently naturalized citizens of unknown gender comprise less than 1.3

percent of totals.

Source: USCIS Form N-400 naturalization data, FY 2000 - 2014.

Table 7

Marital Status at Naturalization (Percent of Total) 

Total percentages may not equal 100 because of rounding. 

Source: USCIS N-400 naturalization data, FY 2000 - 2014. 

Table 8

Class of Admissiona (Percent of Total)

Total percentages may not equal 100 because of rounding.

Source: USCIS N-400 naturalization data, FY 2000 - 2014.

a Class of admission reflects the immigration category held when becoming a lawful permanent resident.

b Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens include: spouses of U.S. citizens, children (unmarried and under 21) of U.S. citizens, and 

parents of U.S. citizens (where the petitioning U.S. citizen is 21 or older).

c Preference categories apply to family members who are not immediate relatives, such as adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, 

brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens, spouses and unmarried children (those under the age of 21) of permanent residents, and

unmarried adult sons and daughters (those 21 years of age or older) of permanent residents. The visas allotted for these categories 

are subject to annual numerical limits. A visa becomes available to a preference category based on the priority date. In family 

immigration, this is generally the date a petition was filed with USCIS.

dThe IRCA of 1986 legalized unauthorized immigrants who entered the United States before 1982, had resided there continuously, 

and did not owe back taxes or have a criminal record. Since the enactment of IRCA occurred almost 30 years ago, the number of 

naturalizations of people who became LPRs under the IRCA is declining.

Year of Naturalization FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Male 44.8 45.7 47.3 46.9 45.6 44.8 44.7 44.8

Female 54.0 54.3 52.7 53.1 54.4 55.2 55.3 55.2

Year of Naturalization FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Married 64.9 64.8 67.0 66.7 64.4 63.5 63.6 63.8

Single 21.6 21.8 19.8 21.2 21.9 22.5 22.5 22.6

Divorced 7.4 9.9 9.5 8.8 9.8 10.4 10.4 10.2

Widowed 3.4 3.1 3.0 2.7 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2

Unknown 2.6 0.5 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.4 0.3 0.2

Year of Naturalization FY 2000-2008 FY 2009-2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Immediate relatives of 

U.S. citizensb 27.2 35.5 35.8 33.7 34.8 35.6 36.4 36.8

Family-sponsored

preferencesc 23.9 18.6 20.5 17.0 17.6 18.4 19.4 18.6

Refugees and asylees 12.4 14.5 10.3 15.2 15.8 16.4 14.7 14.7

Employment 

preferences 12.7 15.5 13.7 19.0 15.8 14.2 15.1 15.4

Other (Diversity Visa, 

parolees, etc.) 15.8 11.9 14.8 11.9 11.2 11.3 11.1 11.1

IRCAd 8.0 4.0 5.0 3.3 4.8 4.1 3.3 3.3
USCIS | OP&S | RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION 10

Table 9

Household Income and Educational Attainment for Naturalized Citizens Age 25 and Older

Survey estimates presented here are subject to sampling and non-sampling error. 

Total percentages may not equal 100 because of rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008 and 2014, 1-year estimates. (Steven Ruggles, Katie Genadek, 

Ronald Goeken, Josiah Grover, and Matthew Sobek. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 6.0 [Machine-readable 

database]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2015).

a Based on 2008 American Community Survey 1-year estimates. 

Naturalized Citizens by Year of Naturalization General 

Population

Income

(past 12 months) 2000-2008a 2009-2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2014

Median household 

income $56,900 $55,000 $57,600 $57,000 $56,500 $50,000 $54,200 $54,200 $55,000

Median family 

income $60,000 $56,000 $59,100 $60,000 $58,000 $51,800 $55,000 $55,600 $63,500

Education (percent of total)

Not a high school 

graduate 22.8 19.3 20.1 18.0 18.2 19.6 20.0 20.1 13.1

High school 

graduate 22.1 22.6 22.2 21.7 22.3 22.9 23.7 23.3 27.7

Some college or 

associate degree 22.3 22.7 22.6 22.7 22.5 24.7 21.7 20.9 29.2

Bachelor's degree 20.0 21.1 19.8 22.2 22.8 20.0 20.5 21.8 18.7

Graduate or 

professional 

degree

12.9 14.4 15.3 15.5 14.3 12.9 14.2 13.9 11.4