UNO Immigration Department


Home About Community Outreach UNO Immigration Department UNO Health Care Department UNO Economic Development Nuestro Deporte English Classes Get Involved Policy Statements Capital Campaign News Events Career Opportunities Contact Donate Home About Us Mission & Vision MoreInfo Board of Directors Partners & Sponsors Community Outreach UNO Immigration Department UNO Health Care Department UNO Economic Development Nuestro Deporte English Classes Get Involved Policy Statements Education Economic Development Immigration/Naturalization Civic Involvement Neighborhood Safety Community Organizing Capital Campaign Case Prospectus News UNO in the News UNO Archives News Releases Events Sign up for our E-blast Upcoming Events Gallery Career Opportunities Contact Staff Departments Donate Become a Partner Donations UNO Immigration Department UNO Citizenship Counseling UNO provides one-on-one Citizenship Counseling at its offices and group Citizenship Orientations on-site at local businesses or community centers. These comprehensive services can help take you, a family member, or your employees through all the steps of obtaining U.S. Citizenship—from applying to being sworn in! To arrange a counseling appointment, please contact (312) 432-6301, ext. 228 or by email at: icorona@uno-online.org UNO's History in Citizenship Assistance While Hispanic immigration had yet to reach its peak in the 1980's, it was clear that Hispanics were a community on the rise, in terms of numbers and potentially, power. However, a lack of U.S. citizenship among many Hispanics stood as a key barrier discouraging this community from fully investing in American civic life. Undocumented status not only prohibited electoral voting, it discouraged Hispanics from purchasing their own homes and becoming vocal, grounded members of local communities. Citizenship Resources Below you will find helpful resources for new immigrants and individuals preparing to become U.S. citizens. Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos de América: Guía para Inmigrantes Nuevos New Immigrant Guide in various Languages Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons Civic Flash Cards for a great tool to help study for the naturalization test. Naturalization Self-Test U.S. CIS Office of Citizenship Website for a variety of services and information on U.S. citizenship. All materials published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los EE.UU.) Citizenship Applications UNO can assist you in completing the following applications for U.S. citizenship: N-400: Application for Naturalization (U.S. Citizenship) N-600: Application for Naturalization (U.S. Citizenship for children from parent) I-90: Renew Residency Card I-129F: Petition for Fiance I-130: Petition for relative for residency (Spouse, parents, children, brother, and sister) I-131: Petition for permission to travel outside the U.S. I-485: Adjustment of Status (Petition to allow relative to adjust in the U.S.) I-765: Work Permit Authorization I-864: Affidavit of Support While Hispanic immigration had yet to reach its peak in the 1980's, it was clear that Hispanics were a community on the rise, in terms of numbers and potentially, power. However, a lack of U.S. citizenship among many Hispanics stood as a key barrier discouraging this community from fully investing in American civic life. Undocumented status not only prohibited electoral voting, it discouraged Hispanics from purchasing their own homes and becoming vocal, grounded members of local communities. Read More UNO Study: Immigration Barriers, Myths, and Misperceptions In order to further assess this situation, UNO commissioned an opinion poll in 1992 to analyze the reasons why Hispanics were not embracing U.S. citizenship. At that time, statistics showed that while Hispanics were the group most likely to be eligible to become U.S. citizens, they were the least likely to do so. In fact, through its study UNO identified a full 140,000 Hispanics in Chicago alone that were eligible to become U.S. citizens but had not done so. Even more important was the study's identification of reasons why Hispanics were not becoming citizens, few of which had been identified before as serious barriers. First and foremost, Hispanics stated they were not becoming U.S. citizens because no one was actively inviting them to do so. Respondents stated that there was neither awareness on how to apply nor any real catalyst at the grass-roots to begin the process at all. Thus, very few took the initiative to become citizens. Secondly, many respondents noted misconceptions about the citizenship process, from misinformation on where to apply, to believing that costly legal expenses and months of education were necessary to obtain citizenship. Finally, respondents stated that they did not know why they needed to become citizens. According to many, the benefits of citizenship were not crucial, especially in light of perceived risks and costs involved with the process. UNO Action: Active Citizenship Campaign To give legs to this information, UNO commenced its historic "Active Citizenship" Campaign shortly after the release of this study. The campaign included television and radio ads that highlighted an immigrant's responsibility to become an American citizen, as well as the benefits of doing so. It also brought citizenship services directly to the grass roots through workshops held at local schools and churches. Through its Active Citizenship Campaign, which is among the most successful ever conducted in the United States, UNO has assisted over 65,000 individuals to become American citizens.