USCIS to Host Naturalization Ceremonies Highlighting Continued Commitment to Veterans

WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will host more than 40
Veterans Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country this year, where
veterans, service members and military spouses will become America’s newest
citizens. More than 7,500 people will take the Oath of Allegiance in these
ceremonies that honor the sacrifices military members and their families made by
serving our country. Of those being naturalized, many are veterans, service members
and military spouses, to which we as a nation owe a special gratitude.

USCIS is committed to bringing immigration services (http://www.uscis.gov/military)
to members of our military and their families. We serve current and former military
members wherever they are, offering an expedited naturalization application process
and overseas processing for military members, as well as specialized customer
service with dedicated phone lines (877-CIS-4MIL) and email support
(mailto:militaryinfo.nsc@dhs.gov) . In the last 15 years, more than 118,000 service
members have become U.S. citizens in 35 foreign countries, including Afghanistan,
Germany, Iraq, Japan and South Korea.

“Veterans and their families experience incredible sacrifices to defend the rights
and liberties that we enjoy in this great country. It’s my honor to recognize these
brave women and men on Veterans Day and every day,” USCIS Director León Rodríguez
said. “Among them are thousands of immigrants, many of whom risked their lives and
vowed to defend our nation before they were even citizens.”

USCIS works with military installations to provide services on-site and currently
has offices located on Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
These offices identify recruits who may be eligible for naturalization
(https://www.uscis.gov/military/citizenship-military-personnel-family-members) . We
also provide information about immigration and naturalization to service members and
veterans at military installations, Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals,
universities and various military organizations.

In addition to those efforts, USCIS also recently began allowing certain Filipino
World War II veteran family members (https://www.uscis.gov/fwvp) who are
beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an opportunity to
receive a discretionary grant of parole on a case-by-case basis, so that they may
come to the United States as they wait for their immigrant visa to become available.

USCIS’ Veterans Day activities this year will feature a naturalization ceremony at
the USS Constellation, located at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, on Nov.
11. During this event, Rodríguez will administer the Oath of Allegiance and give
congratulatory remarks. Follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/uscis) to
view a live stream of this ceremony.

Other ceremonies
(https://www.uscis.gov/news/celebrating-veterans-day-naturalization-ceremonies-1)