Citizenship Reality TV Would Hit Fast-Tracking Limits: Explained

Could US immigration officials award citizenship to the winner of a reality TV competition? Probably not—or at least not unless the victor meets all other legal requirements for naturalization.

Pitting immigrants against each other to compete for citizenship is the premise of a television series pitched to the US Department of Homeland Security by TV producer Rob Worsoff, whose prior work includes “Duck Dynasty” and “The Biggest Loser.”

The pitch for the show, tentatively titled “The American,” would have immigrants who are seeking naturalization compete in a variety of challenges across the country, with the winner receiving citizenship.

The proposal, first reported by The Daily Mail, comes as the Trump administration overhauls immigration policy and ramps up deportations, sowing uncertainty for immigrants and the employers that rely on foreign-born labor.

The US Supreme Court on May 19 cleared the way for one part of that overhaul, revoking temporary protected status for 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants, many of whom had work authorizations.

Can DHS offer citizenship as a prize?

DHS would run into a raft of legal questions if it greenlit a show like this.

First and foremost, the department couldn’t waive the normal legal requirements and application process for citizenship.

“US law and regulations set out the requirements and procedure for becoming a US citizen, so the Trump administration would not be able to unilaterally change the law,” said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. “Only Congress can do that.”

Among those requirements, a person generally must be a legal permanent resident such as a green card holder for five years before applying for naturalization. The residency requirement is lowered to three years for applicants who are married to a US citizen and can be waived altogether for residents with one year of military service or service during designated periods of war and conflict.

The application process includes challenges that are a far cry from typical reality show competitions. Applicants must tackle civics and English language tests, fingerprinting, and an interview, plus take an oath of allegiance to the US.

Could the winner get fast-tracked citizenship?

Once a person has met the residency timeline and eligibility requirements, the N-400 application process itself can take roughly six months—sometimes more, sometimes less—depending on the complexity of their case and the processing times for their nearest US Citizenship and Immigration Services field office.

USCIS considers requests to expedite applications, but the agency says the fast track is generally only available for time-sensitive situations like risk of severe financial loss for the applicant or a company, or emergency or humanitarian crises.

Dan H. Berger, an immigration attorney with Green and Spiegel US, said he’s been successful at expediting citizenship in very limited cases like applicants seeking a marital estate tax exemption, taking advantage of a US government grant or job that requires citizenship, or sponsoring a family member at risk abroad.

But DHS can’t “substitute a reality show for the regular interview process,” Berger added.

How important is employment?

The citizenship application doesn’t specifically require proof of employment, although it does ask applicants to list their current and previous jobs while a US resident.

Employers often sponsor applicants for lawful permanent residency that’s needed before they can seek citizenship.

The immigration policy overhaul under Trump has employers scrambling to figure out what the changes mean for their work forces, including those with employees set to lose temporary protected status.

“It’s so hard to know. And so much of this depends on people’s individual circumstances,” Bush-Joseph said. Particularly for small businesses, “how do you try to navigate and keep up with all of this? It’s hard enough for immigration attorneys.”

How has DHS responded?

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said during a Tuesday congressional hearing that though there “may have been something submitted” to the department, she and her executive team have no knowledge of the pitch and “no plans whatsoever to do a reality show.”

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement May 16 the department frequently receives and vets TV show pitches.

“We need to revive patriotism and civic duty in this country, and we’re happy to review out-of-the-box pitches,” McLaughlin said in the email.

After public backlash to the initial reports, Worsoff defended the show concept as a celebration and “national conversation of what it means to be American.” He said in a May 16 social media post that no contestant would be deported or moved backward in the naturalization process if they lose.