WORCESTER, Mass. - It was a milestone day for around 700 people Wednesday at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester as they fulfilled a dream of becoming American citizens.

Shrewsbury resident Shilpa Kulkarni was one of the many in the group who immigrated to the U.S., and was naturalized after over two decades of living in America.

"So, I'm from India," Kulkarni said. "And I came here after my marriage, which was about 22 years ago. So I came here as a dependent on my husband and then I did my masters over here, gained my work visa and everything, and now after a long wait, I am getting naturalized."

Monika Koimene was among those becoming a naturalized citizen. The Groveland resident came to this country in 2005 through an Au Pair cultural exchange program. She soon met her now husband before both of them decided to settle in the U.S.

"We did a lot of traveling back and forth," Koimene said. "And we lived in Germany for some time, and we decided to get married and decided to make America our permanent home. And now we have two beautiful children and it's been time for me to join the rest of the family and become an American citizen."

It can be a long and difficult process getting all of the legal work completed to become a naturalized citizen. But for both Koimene and Kulkarni, it's both an official welcoming and an honor to now be able to build the life they want as legal citizens of the country.

"It feels like an arrival in a way and for me just to be with my family," Koimene said. "My children were born here, so they're Americans. My husband is American, so it just feels like almost like a unification in a way, so it's very nice." 

The Hanover Theatre said this is the second naturalization ceremony they've hosted this year. The goal is to host more events like this in the future as well.