Free Citizenship Workshop in San Francisco

From AILA Northern California:

FREE WORKSHOP TO ASSIST BAY AREA RESIDENTS ON PATH TO CITIZENSHIP

SAN FRANCISCO – People who are ready to become U.S. citizens but cannot afford to hire an attorney for assistance can benefit from a free citizenship workshop on Saturday, April 30, at UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.  This event, coordinated annually by the Northern California chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA NorCal), is a phenomenal opportunity for immigrants to gain access to knowledgeable, bilingual legal counsel and receive guidance in the often confusing process of naturalization.

Unlike lawful permanent residents (green-card holders), U.S. citizens have the right to vote and are protected against deportation.  Also, U.S. citizens are given priority over permanent residents when they file immigrant visa petitions for their family members, avoiding years of waiting and heartache.  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) charges a fee of either $595 or $675 to file a citizenship application with the government (depending upon the applicant’s age) before the cost of hiring an attorney is even considered.  With such high application fees, many would-be applicants cannot afford the extra expense of hiring a lawyer to assist with the process – choosing either to wait until later or attempt to complete the daunting paperwork on their own.  This event provides the opportunity for quality legal assistance at no cost, from attorneys and other trained volunteers who speak a variety of languages.

This free Citizenship Day clinic is coordinated by AILA NorCal and hosted by UC Hastings College of the Law.  AILA is a national association of attorneys who practice and teach immigration law, and the Northern California chapter has nearly members.  More than 30 AILA chapters across the country will be providing free legal advice on U.S. citizenship during the month of April.  This is the fourth year that AILA NorCal has participated; more than 160 applicants received assistance at last year’s event.  The clinic’s co-sponsors are the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Asian Law Caucus, Centro Legal de la Raza, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, Chinese Newcomers, Jewish Children’s and Family Services, International Institute of the Bay Area, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, San Francisco Immigrant Legal & Education Network, Dolores Street Community Services, the Afghan Coalition, the Iranian American Bar Association, and the Afghan American Bar Association.

This free walk-in clinic will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 198 McAllister Street, and will bring together volunteer attorneys, law students and other bilingual volunteers who see the extraordinary value in assisting lawful permanent residents in applying for citizenship.  Volunteers will answer questions regarding the citizenship process, screen for eligibility, help complete the application form, and give guidance on how to file the application. The workshop is limited to naturalization/citizenship matters.  For a list of documents people should bring to the workshop, please visit http://ailanorcal.com/citz.  To apply for citizenship, an individual must be at least 18 years old and must have been a lawful permanent resident for at least five years, or for three years if married to a U.S. citizen.  Applicants also must demonstrate that they can read, write and speak in ordinary English (with limited exceptions) and that they have good moral character, and must pass a U.S. history and government test and take the oath of allegiance to the United States.

Media are invited to attend the event. AILA NorCal is proud of its attorneys’ diverse language abilities, and we are happy to put you in touch with volunteers who speak Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, and a number of other languages.

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AILA Citizenship Day, a free event with no pre-registration required, will be held Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at UC Hastings College of the Law, 198 McAllister Street, Mayer Lounge, San Francisco.  The college is located a couple of blocks from the 9th Street/Civic Center BART and MUNI station.

For media inquiries, please contact media@ailanorcal.com, or call (510) 299-9600.

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