The citizenship process is a very complex, legal process. Citizenship teachers, tutors, and administrators need to become infomed about the process so that they can prepare their students for their citizenship interview and refer them to qualified local agencies when they need legal help.

At a minimum, all citizenship teachers, tutors, and administrators should be familiar with the following sources of information:

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
  This covers all aspects of immigration and naturalization. (www.uscis.gov)
• A Guide to Naturalization
  This guide gives specific information about each step of the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. (www.uscis.gov/natzguide)
• Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants
  This booklet, available in 12 languages, provides teachers and students alike basic information for immigrants to the United States.
  (www.uscis.gov/newimmigrants)
• Become a Citizen Now
  This site, organized by Illinois' New Americans Initiative, has resources and a list of workshops in which students can get assistance filing their Application for Naturalization.
  (www.becomeacitizennow.org)
• Legal Assistance
  This site has links to Illinois agencies that can provide legal resources for immigrants. (www.becomeacitizennow.org)

In addition, Illinois citizenship teachers, tutors, and volunteers can learn more about the citizenship process and learn how to teach citizenship preparation classes by taking workshops at the Adult Learning Resource Center.

Have any questions or need assistance...?
Contact: Karen Hilgeman, khilgeman@thecenterweb.org