The OCA-Greater Houston Citizenship & Immigration Forums assist low-income APAs with completing their naturalization applications and provides legal consultations for those with immigration law questions. Our Forums cater to low income APAs, including refugees, who cannot afford the average $500 to $1,500 in attorney’s fees when applying for citizenship. The application process to be-come a citizen can be long and complicated. Volunteers and attorneys provide free help to those who want to become U.S. Citizens. Volunteers help applicants complete the form, and attorneys review the paperwork and answer questions. At each Forum, volunteers assist legal permanents residents to complete their draft N-400 Naturalization Forms. We then schedule appointments to meet with participants for individual consultations after our volunteers have typed and printed the completed application with any needed supplemental sup-port letters and documents. We also provide passport photos and mailing envelopes through our one-stop shop to finish a naturalization application.
To qualify to become a U.S. Citizen, applicants must have been a permanent resident—had their “Green Card”—for at least 5 years, or 3 years if they are married to a U.S. Citizen. For Free Citizenship application assistance, please bring the following to the workshop:
- Green Card, Driver’s License or ID, Social Security card, and all Passports (if available).
- A list of all addresses that an applicant has lived at for the past 5 years
- A list of all addresses that an applicant has worked at for the past 5 years
