City of Boston Hosts Citizenship Day

Annual clinic provides free legal help to support eligible residents apply for citizenship

Mayor Michelle Wu, the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA), and Project Citizenship today hosted the City's annual Citizenship Day at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Centerin Roxbury. The annual event provides free legal help with citizenship applications for immigrants eligible for naturalization. This event builds on the City's efforts to make Boston a city for everyone and a longstanding commitment to connect residents with services and support eligible residents with citizenship applications.

"As the daughter of immigrants, I know that our immigrant communities play an essential role in enriching Boston's culture and uplifting joy," saidMayor Michelle Wu. "We are overjoyed to continue our partnership with Project Citizenship and extend our Citizenship Day traditions through the next decade. This support is critical as we work to make Boston a welcoming home for everyone, no matter where you come from."

Since 2014, MOIA has partnered with Project Citizenship to host Citizenship Day, New England's largest one-day citizenship clinic. Before this year, the clinic has served almost 3,000 people from 115 countries. To date, the event has assisted more than 1,900 eligible immigrants in becoming citizens.

Between legal fees and USCIS application fees, becoming a U.S. citizen can be prohibitively expensive for residents. On Citizenship Day, hundreds of community volunteers, law students, and pro bono attorneys help people fill out their citizenship applications for free and determine if they qualify for a USCIS fee waiver. It currently costs $760 to file a citizenship application by paper or $710 if filing online. In this decade, over 1,800 fee waivers were submitted for qualifying applicants.

"Citizenship can be a life-changing benefit that allows for increased family reunification, stability, and opportunities to become more civically engaged through voting and running for office. We are proud to have sponsored this event for over 10 years," said Monique Tú Nguyen, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement.

In Boston, 1 in 10 residents are naturalized citizens, and about 30,000 Boston residents are eligible for U.S. citizenship. MOIA encourages all eligible immigrants to apply for citizenship if they qualify. Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, lawful permanent residents for five years or three years if married to a U.S. citizen, able to read, write, and speak basic English, and not have traveled extensively outside the U.S. in the past five years.

"At a time when many who weren't born in this country feel especially vulnerable, Boston Citizenship Day welcomes immigrants into the civic life of their communities," said Gail Breslow, Executive Director of Project Citizenship. "By providing free legal help, we make sure everyone eligible has access to the benefits and protections of citizenship, as well as the opportunity to participate fully in our democracy."

Project Citizenship screens applicants to ensure registered participants complete their applications on Citizenship Day and are processed for naturalization. To learn more about Citizenship Day in Boston, eligibility, and the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen, visit: boston.gov/departments/immigrant-advancement/become-citizen.

About the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement

The Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) strives to strengthen immigrants' ability to fully and equitably participate in Boston's economic, civic, social, and cultural life. MOIA also promotes recognition and public understanding of immigrants' contributions to the City. To learn more, visit: boston.gov/immigrants.

About Project Citizenship

Project Citizenship is a nonprofit agency that provides free, high-quality legal services to permanent residents to help them become U.S. citizens. It offers free workshops, eligibility screening, application assistance, legal referrals, and all materials needed to apply for citizenship. To learn more, visit: projectcitizenship.org

Translations of this press release are availablein this folder

• Published by: Immigrant Advancement