Houston, TX – U.S. Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) will help legal residents fill out and send applications for citizenship Saturday, June 14 at 8:00 a.m. at Houston Community College’s Northline Campus  at 8001 Fulton Street in Houston.

“We’re helping families navigate the bureaucracy so they can fulfill their dreams of being United States citizens,” Green said. “It’s exciting to the people who are taking this huge step toward becoming Americans, and it’s an honor to be involved,” he added.

This will be the 14th annual Citizenship Day sponsored by Green, who said that in previous years demand has far exceeded the capacity of volunteers to help everyone.  This year, Green hopes to help over 300 people complete and send their paperwork.

The Citizenship Day event will offer legal residents of the United States the opportunity to complete all the steps necessary to apply for citizenship in one stop. The applications will be completed and then reviewed by attorneys for accuracy. Required photos will be supplied; and finally, the United States Postal Service will accept the completed applications and send them via certified mail to the USCIS. Though the Citizenship Day services are free, applicants must still pay the usual application, fingerprint and postage fees.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1.      You must be at least 18 years of age.

2.      You must have been a legal resident of the U.S. for at least 5 years or, if you are married to a U.S. citizen, you must have been a legal resident for at least 3 years.

ITEMS APPLICANTS MUST BRING TO CITIZENSHIP DAY

1.      Permanent resident card

2.      A list of the dates when the applicant have left the country and returned since becoming a permanent resident.

3.      Information on when and where the applicant has lived and worked for the past five years.

4.      Information regarding the applicant’s children and spouse, including birth certificates, marriage licenses and divorce decrees.

5.      A money order or cashier’s check for $675 for the application and fingerprint fees, payable to USCIS.

The citizenship exam will not be offered at this event nor will swearing-in ceremonies be conducted. The application you complete at the workshop is the first step of the citizenship process. The USCIS will take approximately six months to process it in most cases. Potential applicants with questions can call Green’s Citizenship Day hotline at (713) 756-9429. Those who would like to volunteer to help at the event can call Shirley Gonzalez at (281) 999-5879.