USCIS to Naturalize 15,000 New Citizens During Independence Day Holiday

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will celebrate the 241st  anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and the nation’s birthday, by welcoming nearly 15,000 new U.S. citizens during more than 65 Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country this year.

“July Fourth marks the birth of our country, and for 15,000 people, it marks the birth of a new chapter as American citizens,” USCIS Acting Director James McCament said. “These new members of our community will add to the diverse fabric of our nation and will now be able to enjoy the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.”

USCIS’ Independence Day activities this year will feature a naturalization ceremony at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 3. During this event, McCament will administer theOath of Allegiance and deliver congratulatory remarks to 49 new Americans. Follow on Facebook to view a live stream of this ceremony.

Other ceremonies include events at:

• Congaree National Park in Hopkins, South Carolina, on July 3.
• Saratoga National Historic Park in Stillwater, New York, on July 4.
• Calvin Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth, Vermont, on July 4.
• Saguaro National Park West in Tucson, Arizona, on July 4.
• Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, on July 4.
• Battleship New Jersey in Camden, New Jersey, on July 4. Follow on Facebook to view a live stream of this ceremony.
• George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia, on July 4.

To view a complete list of 2017 Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies, please visit uscis.gov/news.

USCIS invites new citizens and their families and friends to share their experiences and photos from the ceremonies on social media using the hashtags #newUScitizen and #July4th.

USCIS is committed to promoting awareness and understanding of citizenship. USCIS offers a variety of free citizenship preparation resources for applicants and teachers, including materials like the Establishing Independence lesson plan, in the Citizenship Resource Center. Immigrant-serving organizations can register to receive a free Civics and Citizenship Toolkit to help permanent residents prepare for naturalization.

The importance of the Declaration of Independence and Independence Day in the United States is reflected in several places on the naturalization test. Prospective citizens may see them in six different questions on the civics test, including, “What did the Declaration of Independence do?” and “When do we celebrate Independence Day?” To help applicants practice for the civics test, USCIS recently launched the first official mobile app for the public, USCIS: Civics Test Study Tools, which is currently available for download in theGoogle Play and iTunes stores. In addition to being the only official USCIS Civics Test application, the app keeps old tests for review, has a game to challenge your civics knowledge, and lists all 100 questions and answers that could be asked in the actual civics test.