Subsidies to process citizenship in the United States: Here’s what you need to know
The Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers a subsidy to process US citizenship. This is what you should know about the grants.
Legal residents from vulnerable areas can apply for US citizenship through a grant from the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
To be eligible for this, you must have the Green Card, which is the document that allows foreigners to live and work legally in the United States. The difference between the Green Card and the Certificate of Citizenship is that the former grants you limited privileges, such as living and working in the country; while the second gives you all the rights established in the United States Constitution; that is why the first is needed to start the process for the second.
What is it and how does the subsidy to process citizenship work?
Because the process can be somewhat complicated by the exam, USCIS has made a subsidy available to legal migrants to help them guarantee citizenship. The budget is $25 million dollars, which are distributed to 65 organizations in 29 states in the country “to help prepare permanent residents for naturalization.”
“We promote naturalization and educate remote, underserved and vulnerable populations about the benefits of citizenship and the naturalization process. Through this grant program, we help ensure that community organizations are available to provide immigrants with opportunities to improve their English language skills, increase their understanding of history and government of the United States and help them integrate into American society”, said Ur M. Jaddou, director of USCIS.
The USCIS awards subsidies to process citizenship through three funding opportunities:
- Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services (CINAS): They offer citizenship education services and services related to the naturalization application.
- Community and Regional Integration Network Grant (CARING): Offers integration services with a focus on individualized programming for certain groups of migrants: Those who entered under the Refugee Admissions Program, received asylum or were admitted as Cuban or Haitian participants, persons admitted with a special immigrant visa, victims of human trafficking and criminal activity, and spouses, children and parents who were victims of abuse.
- Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Offers services to prepare immigrants for naturalization and promote civic and linguistic integration and cultural of immigrants in their communities.
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How is citizenship processed?
The US difference is processed before the USCIS through form N-400. The requirements to apply for citizenship are:
- Have been legal resident in the United States for five years. That is, have had the Green Card since the aforementioned period of time
- Have lived in the USA for at least 30 months of those five years
- Be at least 18 years old at the time of submitting the form
- Living continuously in the United States since you presented the form until you become a US citizen
- Read, write and speak basic English
- Pass an exam with basic questions on the government and history of the United States.
- Good moral character reflecting the values of the United States Constitution
*US citizenship can also be obtained if you are the child of US parents.