New Americans Initiative - Citizenship
Promoting civic engagement through United States Citizenship

The State of Illinois is home to 1.8 million immigrants, the sixth largest immigrant population of any state in the nation. Immigrants make up 13.5% of our state's population and 17.5% of our state's workforce. Of these immigrants, 850,000 are U.S. Citizens, and another 370,000 are currently eligible to become U.S. Citizens.
This integrated citizenship campaign run by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) uses grassroots and media outreach in 25 different languages to provide legal screening, application processing, and English and citizenship test preparation services to immigrants throughout Illinois.
U.S. citizenship is the path to full participation in our nation. You can vote, travel freely, protect yourself and your family members from the possibility of deportation, petition to unite with other family members, hold a wider range of jobs, and have access to all of the rights, benefits, and responsibilities of a full member of the United States of America.
Repeated studies confirm that naturalization increases capacity of immigrants to succeed while simultaneously helping immigrant communities and the economy to grow. The annual median salary increases 55% when a person becomes a citizen, increasing income taxes by $34.1 million. Naturalized citizens are also twice as likely to speak English as non-citizens.
Citizenship Resources
View Our New Americans Initiative Partner Organizations
What to Bring to a Citizenship Workshop
Fee Waiver Calculator: Find Out if You Are Eligible
Citizenship Scholarship
This year, ICIRR received an additional 1 Million in funds specifically to meet the needs of N-400/N-600 applicants to cover the USCIS fees for applicants in need.
Guidelines for determining eligibility for the ICIRR Citizenship Application Scholarship:
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Applicants must be eligible for naturalization.
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Applicants will submit their N-400 or N-600 application through an NAI partner organization under the NAI grant.
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Applicants cannot be eligible for the USCIS Fee Waiver**
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Applicants need to submit proof of income to be considered for the Scholarship.
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Applicants must live in the state of Illinois.

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If clients make less than the 150% Level, they qualify for the USCIS fee waiver; therefore, they don't qualify for the ICIRR Citizenship Scholarship.
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If clients make between 150% and 200% poverty level, they qualify for the USCIS partial fee waiver and the partial ICIRR Citizenship Scholarship at $405.
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Clients who make between 200% poverty level and 100% of the Area Median Income Limits qualify for the full ICIRR Citizenship scholarship.
**Applicants who are found eligible for a reduced filing fee will be covered at $405 for N-400
Scholarships are subject to availability and are on a first-come-first-served basis.
WATCH: More information in the videos below:
Mock Interviews
Citizenship N-400 Part 1-12 (Version 1)
Citizenship N-400 Part 1-12 (Version 2)
N-400 Application Form - Mock Interview (Version 1)
Other Citizenship Resources
Volunteer: We Need Your Help!!
View Upcoming Citizenship Workshops
Get Help: List of Immigration Services Accredited Agencies
