In this Sept. 18, 2018 photo Sameeha Alkamalee Jabbar, a 38-year-old from Orange County sits during a naturalization ceremony in Los Angeles. Alkamalee Jabbar who is originally from Sri Lanka, said the process took ten months and at times she worried but knew about the backlog. More than 700,000 immigrants are waiting on their applications to become U.S. citizens, a process that in many parts of the country now takes a year or more. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)

By AP, 6News WRGB Albany
January 3rd, 2019

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — State officials say 6,100 immigrants living in New York state participated in a government program last year that helps them on the path to naturalization.

The administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo released the numbers for the NaturalizeNY program on Wednesday. It’s a record level of participants since the program began in 2016.

NaturalizeNY helps to connect those seeking citizenship to federal waivers that defray the cost of citizenship. Applicants who enter into a lottery can win vouchers that cover the entire cost of the fee.

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