Naturalization Petitions Drop

The National Council of La Raza has reported that the number of immigrants applying to become U.S. citizens plunged 62 percent last year as the cost of naturalization rose and the economy soured.

In late 2007, the application cost increased from $330 to $595, plus an $80 fee for computerized fingerprinting. Last year, the number of applicants fell to 525,786, the smallest since 2003. The largest was 1.41 million, in 1997, just before a 76 percent fee increase.  For the full story, click here.

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