Mano a Mano Family Resource Center helped 73 immigrants to Lake County go American citizens successful its fiscal twelvemonth ending June 30, and present it tin connection the fiscal assistance to others who request assistance paying the exertion fee.
Citizenship scholarships are present disposable for Lake County residents seeking to go Americans moving done Mano a Mano with the assistance of a $1 cardinal assistance to Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights for its New Americans Initiative.
Dulce Ortiz, the Mano a Mano enforcement director, said assistance recipients indispensable use for naturalization oregon citizenship done the organization, amusement impervious of fiscal request and unrecorded successful Illinois.
Ortiz said presently determination is nary deadline to use due to the fact that determination are capable funds disposable from the assistance to conscionable existent demand. As the disposable wealth is disbursed, a clip bounds whitethorn beryllium imposed. Since August, Mano a Mano has disbursed astir $8,000.
Once individuals person lived successful the United States arsenic ineligible imperishable residents for 5 years, Ortiz said the idiosyncratic tin use for citizenship. Along with completing the exertion and passing the citizenship test, they are required to wage a $725 fee. Mano a Mano tin assistance with the fee.
Help is besides disposable for radical seeking naturalization. Ortiz said a idiosyncratic who is the kid of American citizens calved extracurricular the country, but for a assortment of reasons did not go a national themselves, tin use for naturalization. That interest is $1,170, and the aforesaid income requirements apply.
Ana Perez, the ICIRR programs coordinator, said the $1 cardinal assistance came from the Illinois General Assembly to assistance low-income radical to go citizens arsenic agelong arsenic they conscionable each different qualifications. Proof of income indispensable travel the application.
“Illinois is 1 of the astir welcoming states successful the country,” Perez said. “This helps interruption down immoderate fiscal obstruction the idiosyncratic whitethorn person to use for citizenship. We don’t privation them to person fiscal barriers.”
Perez said the assistance is for each ICIRR subordinate organizations. Mano a Mano is simply a subordinate of ICIRR. Ortiz said erstwhile immigrants go citizens, their dependable arsenic Americans becomes stronger.
“We cognize erstwhile they go citizens, they tin assistance up their dependable and vote,” Ortiz said. “It becomes overmuch louder then. They go a larger portion of our culture.”
Ortiz said applicants who gain little than 150% of the poorness level — little than $19,299 for an individual, oregon $39,750 for a household of 4 — suffice for a interest waiver from U.S. Customs and Immigration Service and are not eligible for the scholarship.
People earning betwixt 150% and 200% — up to $25,760 for an individual, and $53,000 for a household of 4 — of the poorness level suffice for a partial interest waiver of $405, and tin person a assistance for the balance.
A idiosyncratic earning betwixt 200% of the national poorness level and the country median income — $65,300 for an individual, and $93,200 for a household of 4 — qualifies for a afloat ICIRR scholarship. Anyone earning much does not qualify.
“Some radical person precise debased accomplishment levels and are surviving paycheck to paycheck,” Ortiz said. “Money should not beryllium a obstruction to United States citizenship.”
Along with helping radical go citizens, Ortiz said determination is fiscal assistance to DACA recipients who indispensable wage $495 each 2 years to support their presumption current. DACA is simply a authorities programme which protects radical who came to the United States arsenic children with their parents.
“They person to renew their exertion each 2 years,” Ortiz said.
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