NYC Comptroller Stringer report: Costs to apply for citizenship soaring
For many of the city’s immigrants, citizenship is the fulfillment of their American Dream.
Close to 670,000 New Yorkers are eligible to apply for citizenship. According to a report released Wednesday by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, however, the costs of the citizenship application process have spiked so high that immigrants may no longer be able to afford becoming full-fledged Americans.
Not only do soaring costs present a barrier to immigrants, Stringer says, but they serve as a drag on the city’s economy. Immigrants who naturalize in New York City experience increases in annual incomes from $1,975 to $3,265, bolstering tax receipts for the city, according to the report.
The cost of filing a citizenship application has ballooned from $60 in 1989 to $680 today, well beyond the effect of inflation. On top of that, the city recently cut back on adult literacy classes and limited access to affordable legal services, Stringer says.