By Becky Jennings, RIS Paralegal

The U.S. Constitution was signed on Sept.17, 1787. Traditionally known as Constitution Day, Sept. 17 has also been marked as Citizenship Day since 1952 when then-President Harry Truman signed a bill to make it known as such. Truman stated, “It is most fitting that every citizen of the United States, whether native-born or foreign-born, should on Sept. 17 of each year give special thought and consideration to his rights and responsibilities under our Constitution.”¹ In light of the connection between the Constitution and citizenship, naturalization ceremonies are held around the U.S. each year on or around Sept. 17. This year, “USCIS will welcome more than 17,000 new citizens in over 400 naturalization ceremonies across the nation from Sept. 14-23.”²

AILA, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, commemorates Citizenship Day each year by arranging for its members to work pro bono on N-400s, the U.S. citizenship application.

N-400s are one of the forms we handle at RIS. It is a form we particularly enjoy working on because U.S. citizenship is a cherished hope for many of our clients, and, through our work, we can help fulfill that hope. Given current processing times, it may take a priest, brother, sister, or other religious worker about a decade to be eligible to complete the N-400.

Although it could take a foreign national 10 or more years to become eligible to apply for citizenship, citizenship approvals may happen quickly. Currently, naturalization applications are being processed within five months, although a few years ago, the processing times approached one year.³ Once someone is approved for U.S. citizenship, she will attend a swearing-in ceremony.

Sr. Melby John, a member of the Medical Sisters of St. Joseph, is a client of RIS attorney Jenitza Castro who became a U.S. citizen in May 2024. Sister John was born in Kerala state in India and made her final vow profession in 2007, then came to the U.S. in 2011. Working within the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Sister John is a registered nurse at SSMA Health St. Anthony Hospital and assigned to the neurological unit to care for people who have suffered strokes and seizures. Sister John said the process of getting her Green Card was very smooth, but that becoming a citizen was more challenging because she was nervous about the language and civics exams. She credits the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City for offering encouragement and support that helped her succeed in the citizenship process.

I asked Sister John how her expectations of what the United States would be like compared with the reality of what it is like. She said she expected crowded cities with skyscrapers everywhere. Instead, living in Oklahoma, she was delighted to find small buildings and small homes and beautiful green spaces.

I asked her how life as a religious sister in India compares with life as a sister in the U.S. She said that religious sisters are more common in Kerala than in Oklahoma City, and thus many people in the United States, young people especially, look at her “like a wonder being.” She said in other respects, her experiences of being a sister in both countries are the same. “By the Grace of God,” she said, “nothing I am missing up here. As a religious sister we are always ready to go wherever our superiors are sending, and always happy to accept new situations.”

Regarding her naturalization ceremony, Sister John remembered, “I was so happy and thanking my loving God who helped me, through different hands, to make this day.” We are proud that we at RIS could be one of the many “hands” that assisted Sr. Melby John with achieving her goal of becoming a U.S. citizen!

If you have any questions about the naturalization process for a religious worker, please contact CLINIC and Religious Immigration Services.

1 The Story of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
2 USCIS to Celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
3 Immigrants are Becoming U.S. Citizens at Fastest Clip in Years