Sponsors
The bill makes it materially easier for U.S. nationals in outlying possessions to naturalize—by counting territorial residence, providing local processing, and lowering fees—while imposing added costs and workloads on DHS, increasing agency discretion that could produce inconsistent outcomes, and tightening an absence rule that may inadvertently bar some applicants.
U.S. nationals from outlying possessions who live in a State can count time spent in outlying possessions toward the residency and physical-presence requirements for naturalization, increasing their eligibility for U.S. citizenship.
U.S. nationals who have continuously resided in a State or an outlying possession from birth until approval can naturalize while waiving certain documentary and presence rules, simplifying and speeding citizenship for long-term residents and children.
Residents of outlying possessions will get local naturalization processing (applications, interviews, oaths, ceremonies) provided by DHS, reducing travel burdens and improving access to services for applicants in territories.
Expanding naturalization access and allowing fee reductions will increase DHS workload and may require additional resources, potentially raising costs for taxpayers or diverting agency capacity from other priorities.
Giving DHS broad discretion to waive interviews and set fees could lead to inconsistent treatment across applicants and locations, producing fairness and procedural concerns for would-be citizens.
A stricter 180-day absence rule for continuity of residence may disqualify applicants who temporarily leave for work or family reasons unless they can prove non-abandonment, creating additional administrative burdens and risk of denial.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows U.S. nationals who are not citizens to count time in outlying possessions toward naturalization, waives some requirements for continuous residents, and requires DHS to offer processing in outlying possessions.
Introduced January 15, 2025 by Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen · Last progress January 15, 2025
Expands who can naturalize and where naturalization can be processed for United States nationals who are not U.S. citizens (for example residents of outlying possessions). It treats time spent in outlying possessions as counting toward residence and physical-presence requirements, allows some lifelong residents to naturalize with certain requirements waived, requires the Department of Homeland Security to make naturalization services available in outlying possessions for eligible applicants, and adds rules on short absences, discretionary interview waivers, and reduced application fees for these applicants. It also lets qualifying children count residence in an outlying possession for purposes of acquiring citizenship.