The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will celebrate Independence Day this year by welcoming no fewer than 5,500 new citizens in about 180 naturalisation ceremonies between June 30 and July 7.

The neutralisation ceremonies are part of the activities lined up to celebrate the 2023 Independence Day.

Independence Day (July 4th) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776.

USCIS, in a statement on Friday, stated that naturalisation ceremonies demonstrated the country’s commitment to welcoming immigrants and promoting the benefits of U.S. citizenship for all who are eligible.

In fiscal year (FY) 2022, USCIS welcomed 974,000 new U.S. citizens.

So far, in FY 2023, USCIS has welcomed 588,900 new U.S. citizens as of June 7 and made significant progress in reducing our naturalization pending queues.

“Promoting citizenship and making the naturalization process accessible to all who are eligible are a beautiful extension of many ideals that birthed our nation 247 years ago,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “This holiday is always a special opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the USCIS mission and to welcome new citizens as they begin their American journey.”

(NAN)