The backlog of naturalization applications in the United States has reached a critical level. As of the end of the third quarter of the fiscal year 2026, USCIS had 727,371 pending N-400 forms, with an average wait time of 9.5 months for non-military cases, according to official data released by the agency.
The statistics from April to June 2026 highlight a structural issue: the agency received nearly 146,000 new applications during the quarter but only processed about 70,500, roughly half of the incoming volume.
Out of those processed, 57,697 were approvals and 12,842 resulted in denials. As Boundless Immigration noted in their weekly summary, "applications are coming in much faster than USCIS is completing them."
The situation worsened in the following months. In July 2026, the agency completed merely 20,674 naturalizations, compared to 80,077 in the same month the previous year, marking a 74% year-over-year decline.
The Impact of Political Decisions
By that point, the total pending N-400 applications had climbed to approximately 778,000, with around 485,000 unresolved for over six months. A political factor exacerbated the backlog. At the end of April 2026, USCIS activated the FBI's Next Generation Identification (NGI) background check system, requiring millions of applicants' archived fingerprints to be resent, temporarily halting case adjudications.
This decision stemmed from a February 2026 executive order by the Trump administration. According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), this fingerprint resubmission process could increase naturalization processing times by 46% nationwide.
Significant Effects on the Cuban Community
The Cuban community is particularly impacted. Thousands of Cubans who arrived during the 2022-2023 migration surge—many under the humanitarian parole CHNV program, which allowed 110,240 Cubans to enter—secured permanent residency through the Cuban Adjustment Act, requiring just a year and a day of physical presence.
Those who adjusted their status in 2022 or 2023 are now reaching the five-year permanent residency requirement to apply for citizenship.
This is further motivated by tightened immigration policies: in the face of deportations, status reviews, and the cancellation of the CHNV parole, many permanent residents seek naturalization as a definitive shield against potential policy changes. Citizenship provides a level of protection that permanent residency does not always ensure.
Other Contributing Factors
Previous circumstances also contribute to the current situation. In December 2025, the Trump administration halted citizenship and residency processes for nationals of 19 countries, including Cuba, creating months of uncertainty.
While USCIS confirmed in July 2026 that it lifted the final adjudication suspensions for Cubans and Venezuelans, the accumulated backlog remains.
Practically speaking, the current cost of the N-400 is $760 for paper submissions and $710 online, with a reduced fee of $380 for eligible applicants. In June 2026, DHS proposed raising these fees to $1,330 and $1,280 respectively, although this proposal has not yet been implemented. Meanwhile, new USCIS fees for other immigration processes will take effect on October 16.
Applicants facing delays beyond USCIS's published time for their office can submit an online service request. In cases of unreasonable delays, some attorneys recommend exploring a federal mandamus lawsuit to compel the agency to act, though experts advise consulting an immigration attorney before pursuing any legal action.
Understanding USCIS Delays in Naturalization
What is causing the backlog in naturalization applications at USCIS?
The backlog is primarily due to a high volume of incoming applications and insufficient processing by USCIS, exacerbated by the implementation of the FBI's NGI background check system.
How is the Cuban community affected by the delays at USCIS?
Cuban immigrants are significantly impacted as many are reaching the five-year residency requirement necessary to apply for citizenship, amidst tightened immigration policies that increase their motivation to naturalize.