The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released new data showing that over 12,000 people hoping to become American citizens were turned away in just three months. According to the agency's Fiscal Year 2026 Quarter 3 report, which covers the period between 1 April and 30 June 2026, 12,591 Form N-400 naturalisation applications were denied. This figure represents a significant portion of applicants who received a formal decision during that quarter.
The denial rate among decided cases stood at 18.6%, meaning nearly one in five applicants who received a decision was turned away. Of the 140,179 applications that USCIS received during those three months, the agency approved 54,974 and denied 12,591, bringing the total number of decided cases to 67,565. The approval rate among decided applications sat at approximately 81.4%. These numbers indicate a considerable number of applicants faced challenges in their pursuit of American citizenship.
The most significant figure in the dataset, however, is the backlog of pending applications. At the end of the quarter, 727,371 applications remained in a pending backlog, a number that far exceeds the combined total of approved and denied cases. This points to considerable strain within the processing system and suggests the agency was unable to keep up with the volume of incoming applications.
For Ghanaian immigrants and others in the diaspora who are pursuing American citizenship, the figures highlight the uncertainty and difficulty that can accompany the naturalisation journey. Those whose applications fall into the denial category may have the option to re-file or, depending on the circumstances, seek a formal review of the outcome. This process can be lengthy and complicated, adding to the overall uncertainty faced by applicants.
The sheer size of the pending queue also raises questions about wait times. With over 727,000 applications sitting unresolved, many applicants may have been waiting well beyond the quarter in question for any movement on their cases. This backlog is likely to cause significant delays, affecting not only applicants but also the overall efficiency of the USCIS.
USCIS has not issued a dedicated public statement addressing the denial figures for this quarter. The data forms part of the agency's standard statistical reporting, published on its official data portal. The lack of a public statement may leave applicants and the public seeking more information about the reasons behind these denial figures and the steps being taken to address the backlog.
The denial figures and backlog are likely to have implications for future applications and the naturalisation process as a whole. As the USCIS continues to process applications, it remains to be seen how the agency will address these challenges and what steps will be taken to reduce the backlog and denial rates. Applicants will be watching closely for any updates or changes to the process.
Key points
- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denied 12,591 Form N-400 naturalisation applications in a quarter.
- The denial rate among decided cases stood at 18.6%.
- A backlog of over 727,000 pending applications signals significant processing delays.
