USCIS Improves Information Provided to New Citizens

Even as some legislators prepare to roll up the welcome mat, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced an initiative to give all new citizens a standard U.S. Citizenship welcome packet when they take the oath of citizenship. According to a message from USCIS Community Relations, Baltimore Office, the new packet “provides useful information to help new citizens prepare to fully exercise the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.” The new USCIS welcome packet will include items such as:

• a congratulatory letter from President Obama
• a flier containing Important Information for new citizens
• the Citizen’s Almanac
• a pocket-sized edition of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States
• a U.S. passport application (from the State Department)
• a naturalization certificate holder
• a Voter’s Guide to Federal Elections (from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission)

The packet will also include important how-to information on applying for a U.S. passport, updating Social Security records, getting involved in the local community, and petitioning for family members to immigrate to the United States. The new welcome packet is part of a broader USCIS initiative that includes the launch of a new Citizenship Resource Center, which they describe as “a web-based portal that centralizes citizenship resources for immigrants, educators, and organizations.” The website puts a wealth of citizenship-related resources at your fingertips, and it’s worth a look!