Citizenship Clinic: One Year Later

What we’ve learned in our first year—and what we continue to watch for in the future. Here’s what we did between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.

214 Requests for Service | Charts | Active Cases | FOIA Requests | Completed Cases | Countries Represented

Note: the vast majority of cases began in November 2024, shortly before and after the presidential election. Requests for services and accepted cases were minimal between July 1, 2024, and mid-November 2024.

• 1 request to renew Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
• 2 requests to adjust status and secure a green card (I-485), with one interview completed
• 4 requests to renew an expired green card (I-90). Two were previously intended to naturalize
• 7 requests that are still being investigated or awaiting a response to determine next steps, if any
• 11 inquiries that we closed after receiving no responses to our follow-ups
• 13 requests for legal representation to apply for naturalization (N-400)
• 15 requests that were closed because the applicant did not respond after an intake or inquiry or the matter was outside the scope of the clinic
• 18 requests solely for representation to obtain USCIS records through a FOIA request (though some of these cases later became requests for additional services, such as an application for a certificate of citizenship)
• 29 requests to apply for a replacement certificate (N-565)
• 32 requests for brief advice, generally to confirm immigration/citizenship status, to recommend or review citizenship or immigration documents, or to advise on international travel
• 88 requests for legal representation to apply for a Certificate of Citizenship (N-600).

• 1 renewal of Temporary Protected Status;
• 2 applications for adjustment of status (I-485)
• 2 intakes that are currently in process
• 3 green card renewals
• 4 cases that only involve a request for USCIS records (FOIA), though these cases often result in representation for securing proof of US citizenship
• 4 cases involving brief advice only;
• 8 cases involving applications for naturalization (N-400), though the current inmigration environment may impact filing some of the cases and they may be on hold
• 14 cases that are still being investigated or are on hold to determine next steps
• 25 applications for a replacement certificate (N-565)
• 72 cases involving applications for a Certificate of Citizenship (N-600)

These include active cases as of June 30, 2025. It omits any cases that do not involve direct legal representation. Many applications are still in the process of being drafted and reviewed; i.e., not all cases included here have been filed.

• the average number of days from the date of filing the FOIA request to the release of records is 45, slightly higher than earlier reporting, though since approximately early April the average time has jumped to 55 days and is continuing to climb. Current requests are taking 8 to 10 weeks to be released.
• 3 FOIA requests were rejected or denied because the file could not be found;
• 8 FOIA requests are currently pending
• 96 FOIA requests resulted in records being released, though since about mid-April the records have been heavily redacted and documents entirely withheld.

• 1 Green Card renewed
• 3 Replacement Certificates of Citizenship approved and issued
• 3 Certificates of Naturalization approved and issued
• 18 Certificates of Citizenship approved and issued (4 more have been approved and are awaiting the oath of allegiance to receive the certificate)
• 13 cases that only involved a request for USCIS records (i.e., a FOIA request)
• 16 files closed after no response or follow up from the adopted person
• 21 cases involving brief advice only

Countries with more than one client include Colombia (3); El Salvador (2); Ethiopia (6); Guatemala (6); Haiti (5); Honduras (2); India (9); Kazakhstan (2); Mexico (7); Peru (2); Romania (3); Russia (16); Thailand (2); Ukraine (7); and Vietnam (8).

World Map of Clients

Client Residence

Charts

Illustrative explanations of issues we are now seeing with clinic cases.

Redaction and Removal of “A File” Records

As explained in more detail here, USCIS is now heavily redacting and removing records from client “A Files” (the immigration files for intercountry adoptees/immigrants). Since approximately mid-April 2025, the vast majority of records are now being redacted or removed entirely from the file.

Processing Times for N-600 Applications

The time to approve and issue an N-600, from filing to issuance of the Certificate of Citizenship, is currently averaging 168 days, or roughly 5-6 months. The fastest issuance of a COC was 72 days. The slowest so far was 282 days, though many cases are still pending.