USCIS Celebrates Citizenship Day 2023 1

September 2023

USCIS Celebrates Citizenship Day 2023

Naturalization Promotion Highlights

President Biden issued Executive Order 14012, Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and 

Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans. Since then, USCIS has taken a number 

of steps to reduce barriers to naturalization in our nation’s legal immigration system and promote U.S. 

citizenship, including creating and implementing a national strategy on naturalization promotion. Read 

USCIS’ Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization to learn more about our efforts, progress and 

accomplishments at USCIS.gov. 

As we mark and celebrate Citizenship Day and Constitution Week 2023, Sept. 17-22, USCIS is pleased to share 

some of its most recent naturalization promotion accomplishments. 

NATURALIZATIONS AND CITIZENSHIP CEREMONIES

• New U.S. Citizens – USCIS will welcome more than 6,900 new citizens in over 130 naturalization 

ceremonies across the country between Sept. 18-22. Please visit Celebrating Constitution Day and 

Citizenship Day 2023 with Naturalization Ceremonies | USCIS for a list of all the ceremonies taking 

place across the country.

CITIZENSHIP PROMOTION HIGHLIGHTS

• FY 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grants Program - With an increased congressional appropriation, 

this year USCIS will award up to $25 million in grants to organizations across the country for citizenship 

preparation and educational support programs. USCIS accepted applications under four Notices of 
USCIS Celebrates Citizenship Day 2023 2

Funding Opportunities and anticipates making approximately 76 grant awards. See the Citizenship 

Grantee Program webpage for more information.

• USCIS Citizenship Ambassadors Initiative Expansion – USCIS launched the initiative in July 2022, 

collaborating with eight community leaders to promote naturalization in their local communities. 

Through citizenship ambassador efforts, USCIS has been able to extend our reach, promoting 

naturalization to thousands of people in diverse locations across the country. Given the initiative’s 

success, USCIS is expanding from eight to eleven citizenship ambassadors, further diversifying 

geographic locations and represented communities. Learn more about what the Citizenship Ambassador 

Initiative means to two current ambassadors: Pao Yang (Fresno, CA) and Luis Shephard (Boston, MA). 

For more about the initiative and introductions to all citizenship ambassadors, see our website.

• Civics Season – Beginning with World Refugee Day on June 20 and culminating with Constitution Week, 

Sept. 17 – 22, USCIS has undertaken a variety of projects and activities to amplify the importance of 

citizenship. Some highlights from this year’s Civics Season include:

ť A special World Refugee Day Naturalization Ceremony at the North Carolina Executive Mansion with 

Governor Roy Cooper on June 20.

ť Adult Citizenship Teacher Education training sessions in Houston, TX; Seattle, WA; Anchorage, AK; 

Detroit, MI; Bentonville, AR; and Washington, DC.

ť Publication of the Multilingual Naturalization Process Presentations on YouTube in 13 languages: 

English, Spanish, Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Farsi, Haitian Creole, 

Korean, Kurdish, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpNZsaiyFfG1RDfOlfapq1Wlmnuj-p7hM

ť Recognitions of Citizenship Teachers – USCIS will recognize the critically important role that 

citizenship educators play in supporting lawful permanent residents on their path to naturalization 

through the production and dissemination of a Celebrate Citizenship Educators poster for display in 

the classroom.

• Naturalization Policies - USCIS reaffirms its commitment to promoting citizenship and making the 

naturalization process accessible to all who are eligible. The following efforts occurred this year:

ť On March 22, 2023, USCIS published guidance to provide that only applicants for naturalization under 

Section 328 or Section 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) who are currently serving 

in the U.S. armed forces are required to file Form N-426, Revision of Request for Certification of 

Military or Naval Service, along with their Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. 

ť On April 4, 2023, USCIS published Venues for Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies, to 

clarify the types of venues USCIS may use for administrative naturalization ceremonies and the 

considerations for accepting offers to donate use of facilities. 

ť On April 21, 2023, USCIS published Citizenship for Adopted Children guidance to clarify how 

citizenship and naturalization provisions apply to adopted children. 

ť On Aug. 24, 2023, USCIS published Access to Voter Registration Services during Naturalization 

Ceremonies guidance to increase awareness and expand access to voter registration during 

naturalization ceremonies.

-USCIS-