成为美国公民需要多长时间？

成为美国公民需要多长时间？
How long can it take to become a US citizen?

原始链接: https://usafacts.org/articles/how-long-can-it-take-to-become-a-us-citizen/

## 基于就业的绿卡：摘要就业是获得美国绿卡的重要途径，在2023财年（包括家庭成员）的批准率占16.7%。然而，这是一个复杂的过程，通常需要美国雇主赞助。大多数申请人必须完成PERM劳工认证，证明没有合格的美国工人可以胜任该职位，包括广告和工资确认。一旦获得认证，雇主将向USCIS提交申请。签证按技能水平分类：**第一**优先适用于那些具有非凡能力的人；**第二**优先适用于具有高级学位（可能免除PERM要求）的专业人士；**第三**优先适用于技术工人。至关重要的是，所有类别都面临年度签证限制和人均上限，导致*漫长*的等待时间——来自印度和中国的申请人通常等待超过十年。虽然加急处理可以加快初步文件处理，但它并不能缩短签证可用性的总体等待时间。积压情况严重，一些申请人从申请到有资格等待超过12年。

## 美国公民身份延误与移民辩论一个Hacker News的讨论集中在成为美国公民的漫长过程上，许多申请人面临数十年等待，甚至有人在等待期间去世。用户指出，特定国家/地区的配额（印度、墨西哥、菲律宾、中国）是造成积压的主要原因，并建议潜在的解决方案，例如处理时限或限制初始签证签发。对话迅速扩展到更广泛的移民政策辩论。一些人质疑优先考虑移民的合理性，而另一些人则坚定地捍卫它作为一种权利，特别是对于在美国出生的人（尽管出生权宪法基础存在争议）。人们对一个实际上惩罚那些试图通过合法途径移民的人的系统的道德影响表示担忧。几位用户强调了依赖国外的剥削性劳动实践，同时又设置合法移民障碍的虚伪性。讨论还涉及赋予非公民的宪法权利，例如言论自由，以及移民的经济论点——积极的（文化丰富）和消极的（压低工资）。

原文

Employment is the second most common path to a green card. In FY 2023, 16.7% of new green cards were issued through jobs or job offers in the US, though roughly half of those went to the workers’ spouses and children rather than the employees themselves.

The employment route to a green card requires more steps than the family-sponsored route. Most applicants need a US employer to sponsor them. In many cases, the employer first completes a permanent labor certification, known as a PERM application, through the Labor Department to prove that hiring a foreign worker will not displace qualified US workers. That process includes confirming a government-set wage for the position, advertising the job to US candidates, and documenting the results. Once the Labor Department certifies the application, the employer can petition USCIS for the worker’s green card.

Employment-based visas are divided into three preference categories, each of which is subject to annual visa limits:

First preference: Individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors, or multinational executives. Applicants in this category do not need a PERM labor certification and may self-petition in some cases.
Second preference: Professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability. Most require a PERM labor certification, though some may qualify for a national interest waiver (NIW) that allows them to self-petition without an employer.
Third preference: Skilled workers, professionals, and certain other workers. These applicants typically require a PERM labor certification.

The wait time for any of these visas depends on demand and country of origin. Because of the high number of applicants and the annual and per-country limits, applicants from India and China often face waits of 10 years or more.

Some applicants can pay for premium processing to expedite review of initial paperwork, but that does not shorten the overall wait for a visa number. As of 2025, Indian professionals who applied for Second Preference employment visas in 2013 were only just becoming eligible for green cards because of the annual visa limits. For context, that means they applied when Barack Obama was beginning his second presidential term.

成为美国公民需要多长时间？ How long can it take to become a US citizen?

成为美国公民需要多长时间？
How long can it take to become a US citizen?