One of the favorite parts of our jobs as immigration attorneys is to support immigrants in their goal to become U.S. citizens. In fact, one of our immigration lawyers’ wives is a naturalized citizen.
$5 Million Available in Support through Citizenship and Integration Grant Program
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that $5 million in grants is available to support immigration-serving organizations.
$18.3 Million Already Awarded
The Citizenship and Integration Grant Program was established in the fiscal year 2009 and has already distributed $18.3 million. A total of 111 grants have been provided.
The Program has announced that “[t]hese organizations have provided citizenship preparation services to more than 29,000 permanent residents in 30 states and the District of Columbia.”
How Grant Recipient Community Programs Help
Though free educational resources for immigrants are made available from the USCIS, many immigrants need help learning to read, write, and speak English as well as to learn U.S. citizenship materials. Without the community organizations supported by the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, many immigrants would have no way to achieve citizenship.
For example,
Laura Patching, Acting Chief, USCIS Office of Citizenship, describes her team’s witness to an “Ethiopian refugee in her 70s, who according to the instructor had struggled to learn the basics of the English alphabet, write a practice sentence on the board for her class. This student later became a proud citizen of the United States.”
How to Apply for Funding
USCIS offers one opportunity to obtain a grant in 2012; the application is due May 7, 2012.
- To apply for Citizenship and Integration Grant Program funding use this link, http://www.grants.gov/.
- To learn more about the immigration support grants available go to www.uscis.gov/grants.
How to Get Immigration Legal Help
While community organizations help immigrants become U.S. citizens by helping them to pass the English and citizenship tests, our qualified immigration attorneys help by handling all the legal matters pertaining to immigration and citizenship. If you have any concerns regarding immigration and becoming a U.S. citizen, your next step is to contact our immigration lawyers at (513) 793-6555 or by email at thomasjr@geygan.com.