With the House poised to vote on the SAVE America Act—legislation that would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for all new voter registrations—naturalized citizens are scrambling to secure replacement certificates and passports. VisaVerge reports that USCIS is currently taking five to 14 months to process N-565 and N-600 applications, raising fears that many voters could miss 2026 registration deadlines. (visaverge.com)
The bill’s momentum follows President Trump’s January 6 executive order mandating federal agencies to share citizenship data with state election officials. Although most states already collect proof of citizenship for REAL ID driver’s licenses, the federal requirement would be uniform and immediate. Employers should note that the same documents—passports and naturalization certificates—are used for Form I-9 List A verification; any spike in replacement requests may slow hiring of naturalized talent.
![SAVE America Act drives surge in citizenship-verification cases amid USCIS backlogs]()
For additional support in securing travel or identity documents, VisaHQ provides step-by-step assistance with U.S. passports and visas through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/). The platform guides applicants, checks for common errors, and tracks processing status, helping naturalized citizens avoid delays that could affect voting or employment deadlines.
Immigration lawyers advise clients to file online and to keep digital copies of old documents, as replacement OMB-approved certificates now feature QR codes that consular posts can scan in lieu of authentication letters. HR teams should prepare for a rise in “receipts” for lost documents during onboarding and update onboarding systems to flag expiring receipts within 90 days.
Critics argue the bill will disproportionately affect elderly and low-income naturalized citizens, many of whom never requested a certificate after taking the oath or have since lost it. USCIS says it is exploring temporary premium-processing lanes for N-565/N-600 filings, but no timeline has been announced.
The bill’s momentum follows President Trump’s January 6 executive order mandating federal agencies to share citizenship data with state election officials. Although most states already collect proof of citizenship for REAL ID driver’s licenses, the federal requirement would be uniform and immediate. Employers should note that the same documents—passports and naturalization certificates—are used for Form I-9 List A verification; any spike in replacement requests may slow hiring of naturalized talent.
For additional support in securing travel or identity documents, VisaHQ provides step-by-step assistance with U.S. passports and visas through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/). The platform guides applicants, checks for common errors, and tracks processing status, helping naturalized citizens avoid delays that could affect voting or employment deadlines.
Immigration lawyers advise clients to file online and to keep digital copies of old documents, as replacement OMB-approved certificates now feature QR codes that consular posts can scan in lieu of authentication letters. HR teams should prepare for a rise in “receipts” for lost documents during onboarding and update onboarding systems to flag expiring receipts within 90 days.
Critics argue the bill will disproportionately affect elderly and low-income naturalized citizens, many of whom never requested a certificate after taking the oath or have since lost it. USCIS says it is exploring temporary premium-processing lanes for N-565/N-600 filings, but no timeline has been announced.
