If you are eligible to naturalize, you should seriously consider applying for citizenship. USCIS Director León Rodríguez just took that message to Dallas, where he saw firsthand last week how organizations are helping to spread the word among permanent residents.
For instance, he stopped by the local Univision station which was hosting a special call-in event. Qualified volunteers were taking questions from callers seeking more information about the naturalization process. The volunteers were able to calm nerves, dispel myths and correct misinformation.
Director Rodríguez also spoke at the New Americans Campaign’s United for Citizenship Conference, held to welcome local and national partners and encourage collaboration. He noted that with millions of permanent residents eligible to naturalize, the potential contributions of these future citizens is tremendous. He co-chairs the White House Task Force on New Americans, which is working to implement a federal immigrant and refugee integration strategy. Ultimately the goal is to strengthen our nation’s fabric and our global competitiveness.
Like all Americans, we benefit when our newest citizens have the opportunity to live up to their potential and give back to society and the economy. Back in Washington, D.C., speaking at Jewish New Year services at a temple on Monday, Director Rodríguez recalled the biblical admonition to welcome the stranger, “for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
During the last decade, USCIS has welcomed more than 6.6 million new Americans. We are committed to meeting aspiring citizens halfway, by educating them about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, helping them study for the citizenship test, and, wherever possible, reducing unnecessary barriers to naturalization.
Stay tuned -- in the coming days, USCIS will be announcing new steps that will enhance the process, like accepting credit cards to pay the fee for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. We’ll also be announcing nearly $10 million in new grants for organizations around the country that help prepare permanent residents fulfill their dreams to become citizens.
Will you be one of those new Americans?
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