October 13, 2007, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

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Contents:

• What is "Citizenship Day"?
• Do I qualify for Citizenship Day?
• What should I bring to Citizenship Day?
• How do I register?
• How do I volunteer?  (Attorneys only)
• How do I volunteer?  (Students only)

New York Law School’s Justice Action Center is sponsoring a free clinic to aid lawful permanent residents in completing applications for naturalization. Individuals who are over 18 years old and have been permanent residents for at least five years may be eligible to become U.S. citizens. Permanent Resident Aliens married to U.S. citizens may be eligible after only three years of residence. Applicants must meet other eligibility conditions as required by U.S. immigration law. The government recently implemented an increase, the USCIS filing fee is now $675.

To pre-register for the event individuals must call 212-431-2100 extension 4419 or send an e-mail to immigration@nyls.edu. Please scroll down to view a list of basic requirements for naturalization eligibility.

New York Law School is located in Lower Manhattan at the intersection of Church and Worth Street. Nearby subway stations include: A & C at Chambers Street; 2,3 at Park Place; 4,5,6 at Brooklyn Bridge; 1 at Franklin Square; N at Canal Street; R & W at City Hall.

This is our second Citizenship Day at New York Law School. To view photos from last year's event, click here.

Basic Requirements for Naturalization Eligibility:
(For more detailed information, see A Guide to Naturalization.)

• Be at least 18 years old by the date you submit your application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• Have been a lawful permanent resident for at least the last five years (or three years, if married to a U.S. citizen)
• Have been present in the U.S. for 2-1/2 of the past five years (or 1-1/2 of the past three, if married to a U.S. citizen), and have not been outside the U.S. for one year or more within the last five years (or three years, if married to a U.S. citizen)
• Have been a resident of the state from which you are filing your application for at least three months
• Be able to speak, read and write ordinary English
• Be able to pass a U.S. history and government exam
• Be a person of "good moral character" (this will be difficult to establish if you have failed to pay child support, taxes, or have been convicted of certain crimes, among other things)
• Be willing to take an oath of loyalty to the U.S.

Bring the following to Citizenship Day:

• Your Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551 (Green Card)
• 3 color passport photos. (For more details, please see http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/composition/composition_874.html.)
• List of home addresses for the past five years, and the dates during which you resided at these addresses
• List of employer names and addresses for the past five years, including the dates you worked with these employers
• Dates you have been outside of the U.S. since becoming a permanent resident and the countries you traveled to during these trips
• If you do not speak English well, bring an interpreter with you
• If you would like to prepare your naturalization form in advance, download the N-400 form and its instructions. Otherwise, you can wait to fill it out with the assistance of an attorney or law student at Citizenship Day
• When you file you will need to include two checks, but you do not need to bring these with you to Citizenship Day:
  • $75 fingerprinting fee paid by a check or money order made payable to the Department of Homeland Security (no fee if over the age of 75)
  • $600 filing fee paid by a check or money order made payable to the Department of Homeland Security (no fee if active military – bring proof of military status)

Other documents you may need:

• If the name on your green card is different than your current legal name:
  • Bring the documents that legally changed your name (marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court document).
• If you are applying for US citizenship based upon a marriage to a US citizen bring:
  • Proof your spouse had been a citizen for the past 3 years ( spouse’s birth certificate, naturalization certificate, certificate of citizenship, US passport, or form FS240);
  • Current marriage certificate;
  • Proof of termination of all prior marriages of your spouse (divorce decrees, annulment, or death certificates);
  • Document showing that you and your spouse are still living together (examples: tax returns, bank statements, leases, mortgages, birth certificates of your children, IRS-certified copies of income taxes for the past 3 years or IRS tax return transcript for the last 3 years)
• If you have been married more than one time:
  • Bring proof that ALL earlier marriages ended (Divorce decree(s), annulment(s), or death certificates(s)).
• If you have taken a trip outside of the U.S. lasting longer than 6 months since becoming a Permanent Resident:
  • Bring IRS tax return “transcript” for last 5 years (or last 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen)
  • Rent or mortgage payments;
  • Pay stubs
• If you have a dependent spouse or children who do not live with you bring:
  • Any court order to provide financial support;
  • Evidence of your financial support (examples: cancelled checks, money orders receipt, evidence of wage garnishments, or letter from parent or guardian who cares for your children)
• If you think you have been arrested, detained, or if you have had to appear before a court for any reason whether in the last five years or earlier:
  • Bring ALL documents relating to the arrest, conviction, court appearance, and final disposition.
  • EXCEPTION--Minor traffic violations (examples: parking tickets, speeding tickets)
• If your federal, state, or local taxes are overdue (or you have failed to pay them):
  • Bring copies of any documents, letters, or papers you sent to or received from the government about the problem.
• Selective Service: In general, all men ages 18 to 25 present in the U.S. (regardless of citizenship or immigration status) are required to register for the U.S. Selective Service. Only men who are in the U.S. in valid nonimmigrant status (i.e. on a student, temporary worker, or visitor’s visa) while age 18 to 25 are not required to register. If you were required to register at any time when you were in the U.S., even if you are at an age which does not require you to register now, please bring proof of your registration.
  • If you do not have proof of your registration, you can go to the Selective Service web site (www.sss.gov), enter your name, Social Security number, and birth date, and make a print out showing that you registered. Bring this print out with you. Or you can call (847) 688-6888 or (847) 688-2567 to get proof that you registered. You should submit this with your naturalization application.

First, please read the "Do I qualify?" section above.

To pre-register for the event, individuals must call 212-431-2100 extension 4419, or send an e-mail to immigration@nyls.edu.

If you are an immigration attorney, and you would like to volunteer your services on Citizenship Day, please register by clicking here.

If you are a current law student and would like to volunteer to work on Citizenship Day, please email immigration@nyls.edu.