MUMBAI: Nearly 46,100 odd Indians obtained US citizenship during 2016, making them the second largest group, even as Mexicans continued to top the chart. There is an extreme vetting of applications and an uptake in denials on 'odd' grounds that date back many years. At the same time, uncertainty on work visa policies has spurred a significant spike in the number of applications.With 9.72 lakh applications for US citizenship (or naturalisation), the fiscal year 2016 saw a rise of 24% over the previous year. Comparatively, the 7.83 lakh applications in 2015 was only 1% higher than the number in 2014 (see table for more data).Normally, only green card holders can opt for naturalisation. While green card is a permit to live and work longterm in the US, the flux in visa policies and focus on more jobs for citizens is inducing many green card holders to opt for US citizenship."Indians...

Source: Times of India November 30, 2017 20:46 UTC