Major Legislative Milestones in US Immigration History - New York ...

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Figure 1. The Naturalized Speak Better English, Have MoreEducation, and Higher IncomesPercent of Ages 25 and over52%60%67%35%23% 30%25% 21%28%41%49%9%Limited English(LEP)Bachelor’sDegree orMoreLess than9th GradeUnder 200%of PovertyRecently Naturalized Currently Eligible Soon-to-be EligibleSource: Urban Institute estimates are based on Census and CPS data. M. Fix, J. Passel, and K. Sucher,“Trends in Naturalization,” Immigrant Families and Workers, Brief No. 3 (Washington, DC: TheUrban Institute, September 2003).(USCIS) has been working to eliminate the backlog of applications to ensure asix-month processing time for all applications.Characteristics of Naturalized and “Eligible” PopulationsDespite a high percentage of applicants who are granted citizenship (84percent of all 2004 applicants received citizenship), there still remain a significantnumber of eligible persons who do not apply for naturalization.These include green card holders in the United States for five years or moreor legal permanent residents married to US citizens in the United States forat least three years. This eligible population differs from the recently naturalizedpopulation in its English-language skills, education levels, countriesof origin, income, immigration status, and settlement location in theUnited States. In many cases, its members face educational and linguisticbarriers to naturalization. A significant portion of the eligible population is limited English proficient.Sixty percent of immigrants who were eligible to naturalize in 2000-A ppendix III 185
2001 were estimated to be limited English proficient (LEP). Additionally,40 percent of the eligible population for this period indicated that theyspeak English either “not well” or “not at all.” Individuals with low levels of education naturalize at lower rates. 7 In2000-2001, the portions of the eligible population that possessed less than aninth-grade education or possessed at least a bachelor’s degree were roughlyequal (25 percent and 23 percent, respectively). Thirty-five percent of therecently naturalized population was made up of college graduates versusonly 9 percent with a ninth-grade education or less. Rates of naturalization vary according to national origin. AlthoughMexican immigrants make up the largest portion of the population that iseligible to naturalize, as a group they have not naturalized at a proportionalrate. In 2001, Mexican immigrants made up 28 percent of the total eligiblepopulation but only 9 percent of naturalized citizens. The eligible population also has lower income levels than those whohave recently naturalized. In 2000-2001, 41 percent of eligible immigrantshad incomes under 200 percent of the federal poverty level and 17percent were under the federal poverty level. In contrast, only 28 percentof recently naturalized citizens had incomes below 200 percent of thepoverty level and 11 percent had incomes under the federal poverty levelfor this period. 8 Refugees are more likely to naturalize than the rest of the eligible population.During 2000-2001, refugees made up 14 percent of the eligiblepopulation but made up a significantly higher portion — 24 percent — ofthe recently naturalized population. Thus, refugees are 1.5 times more likelyto naturalize than the non-refugee eligible population. This phenomenonmay be in part due to ongoing conflict in their home countries that precludesany possibility of future return and to the variety of immigrationrelatedprograms and services (both public and private) that are availableexclusively to refugee communities. 97 M. Fix, J. Passel, and K. Sucher, “Trends in Naturalization,” Immigrant Families and Workers, Brief No. 3(Washington, DC: The Urban Institute, September 2003).8 Ibid.9 Ibid.186S ecuring the Future: US Immigrant Integration Policy
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