Moroccans are among the Arab nationals that were granted lawful permanent resident status and were naturalized the most in the United States during the first three quarters of 2018.
Data, published by the US Homeland Security in February the 26th, shows that 2223 Moroccan nationals obtained lawful permanent resident status, also known as «green card», in the first nine months of last year.
720 people of this group had their status adjusted by the United States during the same period. The report entitled «Legal Immigration and Adjustment of Status Report Fiscal Year 2018, Quarter 3» reveals that 1503 people of the Moroccan nationals that were dubbed Green Card holders in 2018 lie in the New Arrivals category.
These numbers make of Moroccans the 7th Arab nationals in the list of Foreign citizens granted lawful permanent resident status in the first three quarters of 2018 in the US. The list is topped by Syria (10 931), followed by Iraq (10 576), Egypt (6 999), Somalia (5705), Jordan (3916), and Sudan (2752).
1818 Moroccan nationals naturalized in the first three quarters of 2018
Meanwhile, Moroccans were among the foreign nationals in the US who were naturalized in the same period in the United States. According to the same report, 1818 Moroccans were naturalized in the first three quarters of 2018 in the North American country.
Giving more details, the US department indicates that 576, 589 and 653 Moroccan nationals were admitted to the citizenship of the US in the first, second and third quarter of 2018, respectively.
Data collected by the Homeland Security department shows that Moroccans are ranked fifth among other Arab citizens naturalized in the country during the same period.
According to the same source, 8047 Iraqi nationals were naturalized last year in the US, topping the list of Arab countries. Iraq was followed by Egypt (4459), Somalia (3069), Jordan (2332) and then Morocco.
Further details indicate that 14 540 Moroccan nationals were granted temporary admission into the United States in the first three quarters of 2018.
According to data provided by the same report, around 278,000 foreign nationals obtained lawful permanent resident status in the third quarters of Fiscal Year 2018.
«For the year to date, total LPR admissions were down three percent compared to the first three quarters of FY 2017», stated the same source, adding that «fifty-two percent of LPR admissions were adjustments of status, and 48 percent were new arrivals in the first three quarters of FY 2018».
The US department stated that the number of LPR new arrivals in the first and third quarters of 2018 grew significantly while LPR adjustments of status increased.