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Getting to know new Minnesotans – Part Four: Becoming a citizen
Posted on Jun 25 2017
Becoming a U.S. citizen was “a dream come true” for Norma Garza Montemayor, one of many immigrants who come to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) for help in naturalization. Citizenship applications make up the biggest category of ILCM clients, as immigrants across Minnesota share Norma’s dream.
Immigrants make up 13.5 percent of the national population but only 8.3 percent of Minnesota’s population in 2015. The “Getting to know new Minnesotans” series explores some of Minnesota’s immigration picture. Click to read:
To become citizens, immigrants go through the lengthy and expensive process of naturalization. While there are some exceptions for spouses of U.S. citizens, immigrants serving in the U.S. military, and children, the general requirements are that the immigrant applying for citizenship must:
- Be at least 18 years of age;
- Be a lawful permanent resident (green card holder);
- Have resided in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for at least five years;
- Have been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months;
- Be a person of good moral character;
- Be able to speak, read, write and understand the English language;
- Have knowledge of U.S. government and history; and
- Be willing and able to take the Oath of Allegiance.
In 2015, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 7,533 Minnesota immigrants became U.S citizens. Across the country, 730,259 immigrants became U.S. citizens in 2015.
The naturalization process starts with filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization and paying a $725 application fee, which includes am $85 biometrics fee. After the government runs an FBI background check and reviews the applicant’s immigration history, an interview is scheduled. Applicants must pass English (reading, writing, and speaking) and civics tests.
Where do Minnesota’s new Americans come from? While the largest group of immigrants in the state comes from Mexico, the largest group of newly-naturalized citizens in 2015 came from Somalia — 1,021 new U.S. citizens from Somalia. The second-largest group (501) came from Ethiopia and the third-largest (475) from Burma. Mexican immigrants were fourth, with 425 new citizens in 2015.
These numbers reflect the changing face of immigration in Minnesota. Almost half of Minnesota’s immigrants are already citizens. While Mexican immigrants make up the largest group, many of them have been here for decades and have already become citizens. Newer immigrants come from other countries, and make up most of the current applicants for citizenship. Here’s the full list of countries of origin for Minnesota’s naturalized citizens in 2015, from the Department of Homeland Security.
| Leading countries of birth | |
| Bhutan | 91 |
| Burma | 475 |
| Cambodia | 106 |
| Cameroon | 113 |
| Canada | 98 |
| China | 211 |
| Ethiopia | 501 |
| Ghana | 78 |
| India | 316 |
| Iraq | 121 |
| Kenya | 282 |
| Laos | 371 |
| Liberia | 350 |
| Mexico | 425 |
| Nigeria | 181 |
| Philippines | 178 |
| Somalia | 1,021 |
| Thailand | 279 |
| Ukraine | 89 |
| Vietnam | 295 |
| Other | 1,951 |
| Unknown | 1 |
ILCM’s Minnesota Family Naturalization Project focuses on increasing the number of permanent residents in Minnesota who naturalize as U.S. citizens while also collaborating across sectors, with law enforcement and grassroots organizations, to promote the importance of citizenship. ILCM works with clients to file the citizenship application and accompanies applicants to the citizenship interview. Many naturalization cases are placed with private attorneys trained and supervised through our Pro Bono Project.
If you would like help with naturalization, you can call 651-641-1011 during the following intake hours to to schedule an appointment to speak to a legal staff member:
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
9 am – 11 am
2 pm – 4 pm
If you are an attorney, and would like to volunteer to help with naturalization, you can get more information and fill out the Pro Bono application form here.